Fate's Exchange (Twisted Fate, Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

The whole day was a waste. Tina didn't come back, not even for lunch. I searched every row of books—I didn't want to be seen looking through the card catalogue in the middle of the room where David could see me. That might lead to conversation. But during the last class of the day, I found a few books about reincarnation and past lives. The one about karma held the most appeal. I mean, I must have been pretty crap-ass in my past lives if I couldn't make any of the right choices in this one. Or, if I thought about it with a smidge of optimism, I had some good mojo working for me, considering the chances I'd been given.

It must be somewhere in between.

I was granted the second chances but couldn't seem to get them right. Sooner or later, they were going to stop. They had to. I couldn't live in the same damn week forever, and no way did I have the luxury of running through all the possibilities of every choice. It wouldn't work—every choice I made would generate new ones to choose from in a never-ending string of options.

The final bell rang and jerked me out of my contemplation. I hadn't made it to a single class all day. There were no answers worth getting excited about, and Tina... Where was she?

Grabbing two books, I hurried to the check-out counter. I would find Tina and apologize until she forgave me. Then I would come up with a good excuse for my parents, try to explain my absences before the school had a chance to tell them first. With my luck, the first two times I'd get grounded would be in the same week.

"Here you are," the librarian said, and handed back my books with the return-by receipt tucked into their pages. She was nice. She looked like she was somewhere in her thirties, but a little old-fashioned in her trademark skirt, blazer, and mousy brown hair piled in a high bun on her head. "Don't get many students wanting to read these."

"I have a project to do." I grasped the books to my chest and forced a smile. She smiled in return, a twinkle lighting her brown eyes behind wiry reading glasses as I said, "Thank you."

She nodded, and I turned away, distracted.

Where was Tina?

She wouldn't have left without me—I was her ride home. I moved away from the checkout counter to leave and once again face-planted against the door, this time with my forehead instead of my nose. No bruising, at least, but my patience, the small amount that remained, grew smaller as another piece was chipped away.

"Do you ignore signs on principle or just if it hurts me?" I saw David again and snapped. How had he made it all the way out in the minute since the bell rang? Why would he have started back in?

"I'm so sorry," he said and bent to pick up the books I dropped. "I keep running into you."

"You think? Maybe you could, I don't know, like, stop doing that?" I grabbed my books out of his hands without thanking him, stepping out of reach. Even though I knew that what I thought had happened earlier must be just in my head, I didn't give him the opportunity to touch me.

"Interesting topics there." He pointed at the books and I hugged them closer to hide the titles.

"I have a project to complete."

"Ah, for school...?" He looked at me, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth upwards. "Or is it for fun?"

"Does it matter?" I asked, looking away. Why would he ask that?

Most of the students had left in the ten minutes it had taken me to check out my books, and the hallways were almost empty. Whoever hadn't gone home had reached the destination of their extracurricular activity already—sports, drama, cheerleading... Still, I hadn't seen Tina, and anxiety began to pulsate outwards through my body from my center, replacing my annoyance and increasing my impatience.