How to Save Your School From Soul Stealing Demons

CHAPTER SEVEN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH
12:39 PM
VANTERBEST HIGH CAFETERIA

Watts doesn't bring up his crazy theory again.

Well, until lunch, that is. To be honest, it's longer than I expected him to last.

The only problem is, I'm not the one he's talking about it with. He called Hemani over to our lunch table again, and before I could stop him he was already mentioning how he saw her and her friends picking up Pamela this morning.

She presses her palms against the table, leaning against it. "Oh, yeah. I saw you guys, too." She smiles at me when she says it, and I swear I nearly combust.

"I was just surprised, I guess," Watts says, drawing her attention back to him. As much as I love having Hemani less than a foot away, I really wish he'd stop talking and let her get back to her table, before he goes too far and makes both of us look insane. "I mean, 'cause I've never seen you guys at her house before. I didn't even know you were friends."

She shrugs one shoulder. "I don't know her that well—Kayla got sat next to her in English, and I guess they started talking."

I think he'll drop it, thanks to the totally normal explanation, but he doesn't.

"Oh." He nods, trying way too hard to look casual. "Is that, like, what happened with Greg, too?"

Her eyebrows raise, hand rising to toy with the chain of her necklace. "Greg?" Her shoulders rise and fall again. "Paul told me he started talking to Greg over the summer. I thought he was joking at first, obviously—I mean, he's been a jerk to him for so long. But I guess they worked it out."

"Do you think Greg's... okay?" Watts asks. This time, the question doesn't sound so constructed. He's obviously still pretty worried, even after my stories about Darwin.

She frowns. "I hope so. But no one seems to have any idea where he is. I'm sure he's okay, though," she says, seeming to shake off the cloud of concern. "I mean, stuff like that doesn't happen in Bradford, right?"

Stuff like that, as in... kidnapping? Murder? I force myself to brush the thoughts away. Watts is starting to infect me with all his paranoia.

"Yeah." Watts nods, not sounding too convinced. "Right."

Hemani straightens as if to leave, but then her face lights up. And I realize with a surge of that whoa-she's-actually-acknowledging-me feeling that her eyes are on my sketchbook. "Wow, Diego—you drew that?"

I nod, trying—and failing—to keep my face from heating up. All I can manage to say is a pathetic, "Yeah."

"That is so cool." She grins, studying the cover before looking back at me. "You're like, a total artist. Are you gonna join the art club?"

I wish I could say yes. Once upon a time, I was going to join the art club back at Darwin. "Uh, maybe. I'm trying out for baseball, though, so I might not have the time."

"Really? Nice! Maybe I can get the cheer squad to start going to the baseball games, instead of just football."

I see Watts shoot me a pointed look in my peripheral vision, which confirms that what she just said did sound as flirty as I thought I was imagining.

I nod a little too enthusiastically. I probably look like a bobblehead. "Yeah. That—That'd be great."

The bell rings out overhead, and she leaves us with a smile and a bubbly, "Bye!" as everyone starts standing from their tables and heading to the doors.

Watts crumples up his empty lunch bag as we rise from our seats. "Dude. I'm telling you, she so has a thing for you."

I raise my eyebrows. "And you're basing this off of... your ample knowledge of girls?"

"As if I have to have any knowledge to see something that obvious."

I shake my head, but can't fight a grin. He might be driving me crazy with all the Greg stuff, but he sure does know how to give a guy a confidence boost.

very short chapter lol, but today is a double update and Wednesday will be, too! 🥳