Eternity
Page 34
Chapter 28
The next day in Calculus, when Adrian finally showed up, I couldn't help but think that maybe Anna had been wrong. My heart started beating faster when he sat down next to me and gave me one of his sly smiles. He told me that he hadn't been in class for the past two days because he'd been forced to meet with his therapist. She was still trying to determine if he was safe to be around other people.
"I had to meet with her again today, but it was during lunch time," he said. "She keeps putting me through a bunch of tests to see how I'll react. I failed a couple the first time, but I'm passing them now. She said I'll be able to be free by Friday, as planned."
"That's great!" I exclaimed. "We'll actually be able to see each other without having to sneak around, and you'll be able to go outside!"
Adrian continued grinning. "I know. It's going to be great. I'm really getting tired of having teachers following me around everywhere, especially Mr. Ramirez. He likes creating energy fields to keep me in line. I can't even count the number of times I've walked into them."
"Do you feel like you're ready?" I asked. "Do you feel like you're more in control than you used to be?"
Adrian frowned. "I don't know," he said, shrugging. "I haven't exactly been testing my control lately, at least outside of therapy. I don't feel like I'm going to lose my temper, but I never do until it happens anyway. I hope I can keep myself calm. My therapist suggested yoga, but I don't think that would help. I need more experience with being a wolf so that I can learn to feel more human. The only time I ever feel human when I'm a wolf is when I'm with you."
"Did you ask if you could practice?"
"No. We aren't allowed until second year. This year we just talk about what it's like and how to control yourself in class. It seems like a pointless system if you ask me."
"Yeah, and it isn't what you really need. You'd think they would know that by now. This school has certainly been around for long enough."
We were interrupted by the start of class, per usual, though we had time to talk more later on when we were working on some questions. I agreed to help Adrian practice being a wolf more once he got out of isolation. It was completely against the rules, but that had never stopped us before.
Friday finally came, and I was really excited. I got dressed in a hurry and went down to the cafeteria. I found Jack sitting by himself and looking quite grumpy. He didn't even smile when I sat down across from him.
"Something wrong?" I asked.
"Yes," he said. "Adrian moved back into my room this morning. I was hoping he would be in isolation for the rest of the school year, but apparently that isn't going to happen. They should have at least kept him in a different room so I wouldn't have to deal with him. He was even trying to be nice to me, which was just creepy." He looked at me. "Stop smiling, Jules. This isn't a good thing. That guy should stay locked up. You're not still seeing him, are you?"
I tried to suppress my smile, but it was kind of difficult. "Yes, actually I am," I informed him. "I never stopped. I just stopped talking to you about it because I knew you wouldn't be happy."
Jack rolled his eyes. "Of course I'm not happy about it. It means I have to worry about your safety all the time, and I shouldn't have to. Why couldn't you go out with someone normal?"
"Nothing in my life has ever been normal, Jack. I'm not even normal, and neither are you, and neither is anyone else in the entire school. Besides, you don't have to worry about me. Nothing's going to happen."
"He's hurt you before, remember?"
"That was an accident. You're never going to let that go, are you?"
"No, I'm not. I'll see you in class," Jack said as he took his last bite of breakfast and got up to leave.
"Jack, please try to get along with him," I said before he walked away. Instead of responding he just frowned and left.
I was getting really tired of trying to convince Jack that Adrian was okay, which was why I'd stopped trying for a long time. The conversations we had about him always ended up the same, with me wanting him to give Adrian a chance, and him arguing that he was dangerous. I already knew that, but I still trusted him. I was pretty sure the reason Jack didn't like Adrian had more to do with him hurting me than with jealousy, but it could have been a combination of the two.
"What's up with him?" Melissa asked, taking the seat that Jack had just vacated.
"Don't ask," I said, spooning myself some oatmeal.
"Does it have something to do with that Adrian guy being free again?"
I was surprised. "How did you know about that?" I asked.
"People talk," Melissa said, shrugging. "It's not like there's been much else going on for gossip lately anyway."
I laughed. "I guess we'll have to do something crazy to get people talking again," I joked.
Melissa rolled her eyes. "As much as it was fun the last time, I'm not sure how many times one can get in trouble without being expelled."