Within These Walls

Chapter 15

"Oh no," I say, groaning. Waiting for the countdown is bad enough, but now I have to bear his company, too?

"Tell him I'm freaking because of what's about to happen and you're trying to calm me down," Willow says as I get up. "And I might do something crazy if you leave me alone."

I pause. "How crazy?"

"I don't know, burst into tears? Throw food at people?"

"You could faint," Carson suggests.

"I think that'd just backfire on us," I say. "Marcus would rush over to make sure you weren't stealing the spotlight for yourself."

They both snicker, which makes the worry and tension melt from their faces and makes me feel better. "I might as well get this over with. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Marcus smiles when I go to him. He slings an arm across my shoulders and steers me toward his table. "Look lively, Rose. We don't want these people to wonder if were lying about swearing allegiance to me."

He smells of sweat and a musky scent that's entirely his. The beads of moisture on his face and neck indicate he came straight from the gym. Trying not to wrinkle my nose, I inch away until he drops his arm. "I'd prefer we forget yesterday ever happened," I say.

"I don't know. I like the memory of you on yourknees for me."

I turn to him with a glare. He's got on an innocent look, his eyebrows lifted like he couldn't possibly see what has me so upset. To my right is a full table. I feel its occupants looking at us. They're so quiet that I know they're listening, too.

"Something wrong?" he asks. 

Don't let him bait you. "I'm fine. I just realized I need to use the bathroom."

"Bathroom's closed off. Pretty much everything is. I sent a few guys to keep everyone here until the clock runs out."

"There's something seriously wrong with not letting people go when they want to."

He shrugs. "There are a lot of things wrong with this place. Normal rules don't apply. What were you and the nerd pack whispering about anyway?"

There are some things I could never tell anyone, not even Willow and Carson. Like my personal life. It's not just because I don't want to air my family problems when I've spent my whole life keeping them under wraps, but because I don't know the consequence of talking.

If Sam really is involved, he'll be furious if I mention him.

But I can discuss our theories with Marcus. I doubt he'd believe me if I gave him anything less. "We think the Takers did something to us when we were kids."

Agitated murmurs erupt at the table next to us.

"What did they do?" a girl cries out.

"I don't know," I say, startled by their reaction. "We're not sure yet."

"She's kidding, folks. Calm down." Marcus places his hand on my back, maneuvering me past a few tables and over to a water fountain in a corner. He glances around and leans in close to me. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"You want mass hysteria on your hands? That's what you'll get if you start throwing around wacky conspiracy theories. I've worked hard to maintain law and order here. Don't screw everything up by being careless."

My face flushes. He makes me sound irresponsible. This coming from him. "I wasn't trying to screw anything up. They have a right to know."

"I'll be the judge of that." He lifts his eyebrows. "You follow me, remember?"