Heartbeats

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sunday was utterly boring. Charles had a job interview that morning, got the job, and proceeded to train all afternoon. Mason’s dad stole him to on an unwanted fishing trip, and Malcolm took to the comfort of a bed, sleeping a full twenty-six hours. He didn’t wake up until sometime around ten Sunday night. Adelaide didn’t answer any calls, but she did return those hours later. Her phone had been lost in Charles’s room.

Poor Dekland was dragged away to a distant relative’s wedding, his first big family event since he came out. Destiny was out on a date with a senior from a neighboring town she had met at last week’s track meet, and I hadn’t met him yet. He sounded like a good guy, so I didn’t have a reason to hate him. Yet.

While every single one of my friends was out I was practically banging my head against the wall so I would have something to do, wasting the hours away watching indie movies on Netflix and, gasp, cleaning. I was actually excited to go to school Monday.

I managed to get through athletics unscathed, my only battle wound from burning my neck while straightening my hair. I groaned when I popped into science, the sick smell of formaldehyde making my tongue and throat go dry, and there was something weighing on the back of my mind.

 What do you want Lacey? I snapped. I’m trying to find a way to talk myself out of dissection.

Just tell them it’ll make you sick, she advised, and it actually made sense. Anyway don’t you think it’s odd that you aren’t being stalked by a mass of guys this morning?

Two guys, Lace. But she had a point. Is there something you know that I don’t?

Nope. Just thought it was off. Wanted to point it out. Toodles! And she was gone, just like that.

The teacher excused me from the lab area, giving me an alternative assignment due by class tomorrow. We had a guest speaker in Creative Writing, so Ms. Evanson would be out of the room.

I managed to grab a seat at the back. Within seconds someone occupied the seat in front of me. I didn’t mind until the sharp smell of her perfume hit my nose. It wasn’t repulsive, but the strength of it conjured a hard pain in my temples and the bridge of my nose. I could either stay and suffer or move, but the only open seat was in the dead center of the front row. Regardless, I shot out of my seat and stole that one. My headache went away immediately.

Naturally, my position up front volunteered me to assist the speaker. She also used me for many examples and by the end of class it was basically a one-on-one conversation. Everyone else was on their phones, and I was listening to her drone on and on about her favorite literary device.

Her favorite. Literary. Device.

Destiny attacked me as soon as I got out of class, hooking her arm in mine and tugging me off to the cafeteria while she droned on and on about her date. She didn’t even shut up when we were in line, stacking basically everything on her tray. I grabbed a salad and a water. When we approached our table my eyes narrowed.

Mason and Charles were sitting completely separate ends of the table, shooting death glares at one another. The two sobered immediately upon seeing me. Mason pulled out the chair next to him, and Charles motioned for me to sit next to him.

I plopped down beside Dekland. Eventually the two gravitated inward, Charles sliding into the seat beside me a fraction of a second before Mason did. He smirked while Mason rolled his eyes and settled for the seat across from me. Destiny sat opposing Dekland to Mason’s right.