My eyes follow Crystal as she sashays through the crowd to join Bridget and a small knot of people on the other side of the room.
Bria touches my elbow gently. “Is it just me, or is nice Crystal even creepier than mean Crystal?”
“Right?” I force a laugh as I turn to Bria, attempting to ignore the shadowy sense of foreboding lurking at the back of my mind. “Any ideas on that one, Lexie?”
She puts her hands up. “Don’t ask me to ascribe logic to her. What, you think because we’re related I have some kind of special insight into the way her mind works? No, I don’t, thank you very much. But whatever she’s up to, I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”
Owen appears at my side and presents me with a cup of punch. When I take it, he slides his arm around my shoulder and gives me a squeeze. “What did I miss?”
Heat rises in my cheeks and I say a silent thank you for the mood lighting. Lexie raises an eyebrow and I press my lips together in a tight line, ignoring the butterflies taking flight in my stomach.
Owen removes his arm. If he’s noticed anything strange about me, he doesn’t mention it. A group of people moves off the dance floor, led by Felix, who calls Owen’s name and waves him over.
Owen tenses, sighing. “Idiot,” he murmurs.
I raise an eyebrow at him. “I thought you liked Felix?”
“I do. It’s who he’s hanging out with I’m not too fond of.” He nods in the direction of the group.
The longish, wild hair of one guy in the group catches my eye. Tucker. But he’s not the only one who stands out. When I look at another guy, the tallest in the group with close-cropped dark brown hair and heavy, dark eyebrows, an unpleasant twinge passes through me.
“I figured with Mrs. Cole here, they might not try anything stupid, but Tucker Ingram plus Zane Ross can only mean those idiots actually did bring alcohol.” He shakes his head. “I’m gonna go check on the situation.” He offers a brief half smile before heading off toward the group.
The DJ spins a song I’m not familiar with, but some other people seem to be enjoying it. As I sip my punch, I let my eyes roam over the scene. So, this is a school dance. I suppose it’s about what I expected it to be from television and movies. Still, I was hoping for... more. Now that I’m here, I guess I thought I’d feel like I belonged. But, as usual, I feel more like an outsider looking in.
The song changes and Lexie and Bria squeal and run off onto the dance floor. I look down at the plastic cup in my hands. I could join them, but where was I supposed to set this down? Besides, they didn’t invite me out. I take another sip of punch and watch the two of them dancing, laughing, grins on their faces. Owen still stands with the guys. I could go over there, but, again, I wasn’t invited. I look away.
Off against the windows by the courtyard, a familiar form catches my eye. Fox stands near a girl with golden blond hair whose pink dress is so short and tight I’m not sure it qualifies as much more than a tube top. He leans in close to her ear and she giggles, touching his arm gently.
Lexie tugs on my arm and pulls me toward the dance floor, her cheeks flushed. “Why aren’t you dancing?”
I open my mouth, but my plastic punch cup no longer seems like a reasonable excuse. She grabs the cup from my hand and sets it on a table on our way to the makeshift dance floor.
Bria squeals when she sees me and I can’t help but laugh. She’s so much different from usual, more open and alive. I like this change in her. I’m not exactly sure how to dance, so I try to mimic the movements Bria and Lexie are making. After an entire song’s worth of struggling to copy their motions exactly, it occurs to me that neither of them is a particularly gifted dancer. Plus, it doesn’t matter that none of us are dancing well, because—I realize with a start—I’m actually enjoying myself. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had this much fun.
After another song, Owen, Felix, and a couple other guys I don’t recognize join our little group and we accept them, widening the circle. Felix, it turns out, is actually a pretty good dancer, and while the other guys make do with simple shuffle steps, Felix moves to the center of the circle, inviting Lexie to dance with him. As they move, their eyes lock, and an almost palpable intensity builds between them.
Bria claps her hands together and leans toward me. “Man, I wish the two of them would get over themselves and admit they like each other already.”
I raise my eyebrows at her.
She rolls her eyes. “Please, they’ve been doing this weird mating dance for the last year.” She casts an obvious glance in Owen’s direction. “Tell me you don’t know a little about that.”
I look away, refusing to confirm her suspicions. In another corner of the dance floor, I spot West dancing dangerously close to his date, the infamous Dana. Her dark gold dress is only slightly longer than the one Fox’s date was wearing.
My eyes scan the room for Fox. He’s one of the taller guys and I find him almost immediately, dancing near the center of the makeshift dance floor with a busty brunette in a deep purple dress. I’m confused, but before I can ask Bria whether she noticed Fox with someone else earlier, the blond approaches Fox and the brunette and grabs the brunette by the hair. A scream pierces the air and before anyone can react, the two girls are locked in a brawl, ripping at each other’s clothes and clawing at any exposed skin. Fox leaps back, his eyes wide. He seems too startled to do anything but watch the fight unfold.
The music stops. Miss Buchanan and a female teacher I don’t recognize push through the wall of students that immediately formed around the fighting girls. After a couple failed attempts, they manage to pull the girls apart and drag them off the dance floor. Mr. Martin leads Fox off to a corner of the cafeteria.
The DJ says something into the microphone, but it’s difficult to understand over the buzzing voices. A new song starts up and, after a few beats, people begin dancing again.
Lexie grabs Bria and me by the wrists, pulling us behind her as she walks toward the refreshment table. “I’m parched,” she calls over the music.
I allow Lexie to press a drink into my hand and follow Bria to an empty table littered with the debris from its last inhabitants. I collapse into the chair, suddenly aware of just how tired I am. It didn’t occur to me while I was dancing, but I doubt I’ve engaged in this much physical exertion... ever.
“Wow, can you believe that?” Lexie asks, leaning over the table toward me and Bria. “That’s not even the first fight over Fox this year. I just don’t understand it.”
Bria snorts. “Really? You’re telling me you’re immune?”
I lean forward, wondering if she’s talking about what I think she’s talking about. “What do you mean?”
Bria rolls her eyes. “Like you haven’t noticed. He just has this effect on people. Girls get all swoony around him.”
Lexie clears her throat and Bria holds her hands up innocently.
“Hey, I’m not excluding myself in this. I don’t know what happened. I’ve known him forever and then suddenly at the end of last school year it was like I was seeing him for the first time. I don’t know if he hit a growth spurt or pulled out of an awkward phase or what.”
I take a deep breath. “So, you’re telling me that everyone feels... attracted to him?”
Lexie shrugs. “I haven’t, like, taken a survey or anything, but… yeah. Are you telling me you haven’t noticed it?”
I shake my head. “I’m not saying that. It’s just… strange.”
“That it is,” Bria agrees.
The song changes and Lexie claps her hands. “Okay, I’m refreshed. Let’s go dance some more!”
Chapter Eighteen
“I need a break,” I call over the music. I can’t remember how many songs have passed since our second foray onto the dance floor.
“What?” Lexie yells back, her body still in motion.
“I need a break!” I fan my face for effect.
Lexie waves me away before throwing herself back into the music at
full force. I laugh as I weave through the throngs of dancing students and head for the refreshment table. I grab a bottle of water and leave the cafeteria to walk through the commons—where there are far fewer dancers—and into the far hallway. It’s darker here, and quieter. My hair is sticking to the back of my neck and it’s a million degrees in here, but I’m also having the time of my life.
“You looked great out there.”
I turn to see Fox, his dress shirt unbuttoned to reveal a patch of his chest. A smile spreads across his face as he moves closer to me.
I ready myself for the strange swooping sensations that always accompany Fox’s nearness, but nothing overtakes me. He’s clearly attractive, but tonight he doesn’t affect me the same way he usually does. “Fox. I thought you got kicked out after the fight between your girlfriends.”
He shrugs. “Hey, I’m not with either of those girls. I convinced Miss Buchanan it wasn’t my fault they got all worked up over me. I mean, honestly, can you blame them?”
His remark chafes and I cross my arms over my chest. “Are you here for a reason?”
“I just noticed you heading out here and I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He reaches forward to stroke my arm, but I pull away. His eyebrows draw together slightly and his mouth twitches.
“I’m fine. I just needed a breather. Thanks for checking up on me.”
Fox’s brow wrinkles in confusion. “What’s going on with you?”
His words are quiet and I’m not entirely sure he meant the question for me. “Nothing’s going on with me—I just wanted a few seconds to myself. Is there a problem with that?”
A beat passes before he shakes his head. “Of course not,” he says, but he doesn’t sound convinced. He takes a step closer to me, a smile stretching itself across his lips. “I just thought you liked me, is all. And all of a sudden you’re acting decidedly unfriendly.”
He caresses my arm with his fingertips and my stomach clenches. The commons is sparsely populated and no one out here seems particularly concerned with what’s happening in my little corner.
“Look, Fox, will you just leave me alone, please?” I take another step backward and find myself against a wall. Fox doesn’t advance on me, but he doesn’t back away either. His eyes run down the length of my body and the cadence of my heart speeds up.
“What’s going on here?”
My eyes slide past Fox to see Owen approaching, his eyes narrowed and his features dark.
Fox holds his hands up innocently as Owen places himself between us. “Just a friendly conversation. No need to get all territorial.”
Owen looks to me for verification. I release a breath. “He’s just being annoying. No worries.”
Fox looks at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. “Sorry to annoy you,” he murmurs, though his tone is more confused than apologetic. “Enjoy your night.” He pivots on his heel and leaves.
Owen takes a step closer to me and touches my upper arm. His palm is warm and slightly damp against my skin. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
I nod, watching as Fox crosses the commons and disappears into the dancing crowd in the cafeteria. “Yeah. It’s just… I’m glad you came along.”
He smiles. “I didn’t just happen by, you know. The dance is gonna be over soon and Bria’s already talking about heading out so we don’t get stuck in the parking lot.”
I bite my lower lip. I’m not quite ready for the night to end, but I can’t very well tell my ride she can’t leave yet. “Oh. Okay.” I start toward the cafeteria as the music changes from an upbeat dance number to a ballad. Owen catches my hand, pulling me to a stop.
“I told her I didn’t want to leave yet,” he says, taking a step toward me. “You promised you’d save me a dance.” He guides my hand up to his shoulder and rests his free hand on my waist. Before I’m sure exactly what’s happened, my fingers are laced behind his neck and we’re swaying back and forth. His body brushes against mine each time we step with the music. I’m aware of each place where our bodies intersect, and I focus on my breathing, trying to keep it steady. My heart beats so hard and so fast I’m afraid Owen can hear it. I stare at his chest, not sure where else to look. I step on his toes and pull away.
“I’m sorry,” I say, looking down at my feet.
“It’s okay.” Owen closes the distance between us. “You’re doing fine.”
I step closer as he places his hands on my hips again. “I’ve never danced like this before.” It comes out as a whisper and I regret the words as soon as I say them. Owen stops moving, and his right hand leaves my hip. I glance up at him, sure I’ve said something wrong, but the look on his face tells me otherwise. He’s looking down at me with an intensity in his eyes I’ve never seen. His fingertips brush against my right cheek and he leans toward me. I close my eyes.
I can’t see him, but I can feel warmth radiating off him as he moves closer to me. His breath tickles my lips.
Then the radiating warmth is gone. Owen’s hand drops from my cheek to my shoulder. I open my eyes—what did I do wrong?—but Owen isn’t looking at me; his face is turned away, his attention fixed on the commons. I open my mouth, but I don’t get the chance to speak.
A scream rips through the commons, reverberating off the corridor we’re in. I take a step back from Owen—the spell is broken. A girl in a lavender dress stands in the center of the commons, a ring of people staring at her. “Mrs. Cole!” she yells. “Mrs. Cole!”
I look around the faces in the commons, waiting for Mrs. Cole to appear. Other chaperones look around at each other, and it’s clear none of them know where she is. Miss Buchanan approaches the girl, but she just keeps screaming. She points to the hallway at the far end of the commons and a couple of the chaperones move in that direction.
Owen starts toward the far hallway too. He takes hold of my hand, pulling me along with him, and my confusion about what’s going on is quelled as a new sensation overtakes me. Owen’s hand is warm in mine, his pressure firm, sure. Like I’m supposed to be at his side, like he doesn’t want to leave me behind. The feeling of his warm body pressed against mine washes over me again, the heat radiating from him to me as he leaned in closer and closer...
Whatever this girl is going on about, it had better be good.
Owen pushes through the doors and joins a crowd already gathering in the hall. Someone shrieks. A chorus of murmurs shoots through the group. I shiver, suddenly cold. Something in the air here is different. It’s not just cooler here than in the commons—there’s a sense of dread hovering over us.
Owen stops at the edge of the group, but I have to know what’s going on. I tug on his hand as I begin pushing past people, making my way to the center of the tight knot.
Mrs. Cole lies on the linoleum floor of the hallway, her eyes slightly open but unfocused. Mr. Martin kneels at her side, alternately performing chest compressions and blowing air into her mouth with his.
“Is she dead?” someone whispers.
“Who found her?”
“How long has she been here?”
Miss Buchanan pushes into the clearing. “I called nine-one-one. The ambulance is on its way. Is she...?”
The man doing CPR pauses to look at the other chaperone. He shakes his head just slightly before returning to his work. Someone lets out a wail.
I look around. A couple girls appear to be crying into their dates’ chests. One group of girls stands holding hands. A few guys stand around, looking both shocked and in awe.
Standing directly across from me is Crystal Jamison. Our eyes lock on each other’s for an instant. She wears an expression I can’t read. Breaking off eye contact, she turns, disappearing into the crowd.
Owen’s arm slides around my shoulders. “We should go to the main entrance. I don’t know if anyone is there and someone needs to tell them where Mrs. Cole is.”
I allow him to lead me back through the throng. More people have arrived. A couple chaperones keep calling out something about giving
Mrs. Cole some air, but I know she doesn’t need it. I don’t say anything to Owen, but I know it doesn’t matter whether or not we bring the paramedics to the principal. It doesn’t matter how long Mr. Martin does CPR. Mrs. Cole is dead.
Chapter Nineteen
I wake up early Saturday morning and for a moment, I’m able to convince myself that last night’s events were just a nightmare. But even without leaving my bed, I know Jodi is awake. Her grief is contagious, moving through the house like a fog and covering me like a blanket. Mrs. Cole died last night. It wasn’t a nightmare.
What happened after we saw Mrs. Cole lying on the floor is jumbled in my mind. Owen and I waited for the paramedics and led them to her body. The chaperones forced everyone out of the hallway, back into the commons. The DJ stopped playing music and slowly, everyone filtered out of the school. When I got home, Jodi was sitting in the living room, waiting for me to tell her all about my exciting and enchanting night. But I only told her one thing.
The air feels thin and I struggle to take a deep breath. I didn’t know her well, but Mrs. Cole was nice to me. She gave me a chance. It seems impossible that I’ll never see her again.
On my nightstand, my phone buzzes. I pick it up and see a text message from Owen. There’s a diner two blocks from Jodi’s store. Can you be there in 20 min?
My stomach flutters, remembering his fingers on my cheek last night, but a swoop of guilt blots the memory out. How can I think about that moment with Owen in light of the tragedy that followed? Still, my fingers tremble as I hit the reply button. Maybe. Why?
Mere seconds pass before my phone buzzes again. I’ll explain when you get here.
A knot of apprehension twists in my stomach. Does he want to talk about what almost happened between us last night? Or did I completely misread the entire situation? Maybe he wants to talk about something entirely different. I won’t know till I get there, so I dress quickly, pulling on a sweater and a pair of jeans, before heading to the second floor and approaching Jodi’s room. I hesitate at the door; she’s sobbing softly inside. I don’t want to intrude on her grief, and, more selfishly, I don’t want her to need me and insist I can’t go. Stomach clenching, I turn from her door and head downstairs as silently as I can.
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