Beneath Scarlett Valley

CHAPTER SIX

THE SECOND DAY of school brought less curious gazes, but it was still daunting. When my meaningless morning classes ended, I hurried to the cafeteria in hopes of seeing Sebastian. 

There was no sign of him, not even a lingering scent, so I paid for an iced coffee and ripe banana. As I turned to go, I collided with Vicky. Her oversized feather clip slipped from her hair and plopped into my coffee cup.

“Sorry about that,” she said.    

I fished the clip out and shook it dry. “That’s fine. I wasn’t paying attention either.”

“Good thing I have a backup.” She dropped the clip into her purse and pulled out an even larger one. As she pinned it in place, she looked down at my lunch. “Is that all you’re having?” 

“I had a big breakfast,” I said. “I’ll see you later.”

“Come have lunch with me,” she said. “If you eat alone again, you’ll be lumped in with the loners.”

“No thanks, I’ll pass.”

“But you have to,” she said in a pleading voice. “We’re hanging out behind the science lab. Principal Wally expelled all the dealers, so it doesn’t stink anymore.”

I swallowed the immediate refusal on my tongue. I did not care if people called me a loner. However, I did want to learn more about Sebastian. 

“Who will be there?” I asked.

Vicky’s eyes lit up. “Just Abi, but she’s really cool. I promise.”

“Okay.”

She looped her fingers through mine and pulled me to the main doors. When it closed behind us, I pulled my hands from hers. The coolness of her skin made the fire itch beneath mine. 

As we snuck behind the science lab, Vicky looked down at my boots. “How did you get that worn-in look?”

“I wore them.”

“Oh…um, we should go to the vintage shop on Austin. That’s where I got this clip.”

“I don’t shop.”

Vicky’s smile faltered as we settled on the dry grass. “I should call Abi to see where she is.”

She pulled out her phone, but just then, two other students arrived. One was the boy who winked at me in Lit class. The other was the girl whose seat I had taken. Vicky introduced the boy as Zach, and the girl as Abi. 

Abi sank to the grass beside Vicky. “So, you’re the little seat thief who got me stuck beneath the fountain of Wilder.” 

“Ignore her,” Vicky said. “She’s just teasing.”

“Yeah, she’s more psycho than mean,” Zach said. “It’s all that peroxide she uses.”

Abi shook out her white blonde hair, and then pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. As she lit it, she looked down at my boots and snickered. 

My veins hissed. She was a tiny girl with a reedy neck that looked very breakable. One twist would do the trick. I pushed the dark thought from my mind and looked at Vicky. “Perhaps I should get going.”

“No,” she said. “Please stay.”

“Abi’s just mad she won’t get to pepper Sebastian with questions about Sloan,” Zach said.

I expected Abi to hurl an insult at him, but instead she smiled at me. “They’re right. Please, stay so Zach can get the scoop on you for his little blog.”