Transparent

by Natalie Whipple

  I know he’s trying to be funny, but it isn’t working. “That won’t stop them. And could you please answer your freaking phone? It would have been nice to know you were alive this morning.”

  “Will do.” He pulls it from his pocket and winces. “It died. Oops.”

  “Good one, Miles.” Why is it that I’m the only one panicking? Maybe it’s because I stand to lose the most if Dad comes strolling through the door. Stupid me, getting attached to this place.

  “Don’t be like that,” Miles says. “You’ll be safe. That’s what matters most to me. Seth, you better take care of her, at least until I can get more information.”

  “I will.” His voice is soft.

  “I told you what’s really going on. Graham is ratting us out to Dad right now.” I sling my bag over my shoulder. I’m determined not to say good-bye, but Miles grabs me into a hug.

  “That’s why it’s time to pull out the big guns. Lay low; I’ll email you when I know more.”

  “Whatever.” I nearly choke on the word. Why won’t he just get himself out? He might be worthless to Dad, but that won’t keep him safe. He has to know that.

  “Love you, Fi.”

  I can’t say it back. I won’t cry. The only thing I can do is squeeze him tighter, and then I let go and head for the door. Seth starts the truck. We’re almost to his house before he says, “What are you going to do?”

  I’m not really sure. I don’t want to leave Madison, much as I should. The idea of never seeing Bea or Seth or Brady again makes my heart ache. “I should probably run.”

  “Maybe … maybe you could stay.” He parks the car, but his hands still grip the steering wheel. “What your mom said could be true. Graham could have been throwing him off the trail.”

  My jaw drops. “You’re siding with my mom?”

  “No!”

  I glare at him. “Then what?”

  “I guess I’m just saying give it a few days before you disappear. Maybe it is a misunderstanding, and …” Seth bites his lip.

  I’m not in the mood for these pauses. “And?”

  “There are lots of people here who’d miss you if you just upped and left. I’m assuming I’m sworn to silence here, but Bea would probably rip my balls off if she found out I knew you were running and didn’t try to stop you.”

  I wince at the image. “Jeez, can you be more graphic?”

  “I’m serious. You think the Navarros let people in like that often? Well, they don’t. They care about you. We all do.”

  I stare at him. He might not be looking at me, but I can see the worry in his brow, the desperation in his locked jaw. He … doesn’t want me to leave. My heart warms, even if I know staying for a boy is about as reckless as it gets. But I already wanted to, and this seals it. I have to at least try. “Two days.”

  He nods. “Fair enough. But if there’s any word that things are safe, you have to promise to stay.”

  I sigh, wishing I had the willpower to say no. “Okay.”

  “Bea should be back home now. We’ll tell Rosa you’re having family problems. It’ll be okay.”

  I follow him to the Navarros, hoping he’s right.

  Chapter 26

  It’s Tuesday. Day two. I check my email after school, since I don’t dare use Seth’s or Bea’s internet connection. Nothing more to tie them to me. Seth sits at the nearest table, eyeing me. Even if he can’t protect me, I feel safer with him nearby anyway.

  As I log into my account, my fingers feel slick against the keys. There are three messages, two of which are spam for ability-enhancing drugs. Radiasure may be illegal, but that doesn’t stop people from making new, “safer” things that supposedly boost powers. Either they don’t do anything, or they’re really bad for you.

  The third message is from HotMulletMan1. I click it, my heart pounding. Please be good news.

  BritBunny, The Big Man never showed. The Lap Dog left yesterday, according to Mom. He was waiting for you—he’s not happy that you don’t come home at night. He started asking a lot about where you’re going, who you’re with. He thinks he should keep better tabs on you to make sure you’re “safe.”

  I’m back in Tucson, and I’m meeting up with my contact in the next couple days. Tell me if there are signs of trouble. For now, it seems like you’re safe. Just be careful.

  I hate to say maybe he’s not lying (I know that’ll piss you off), but I can’t rule it out. I just don’t know why he’d want to protect you so much. I’m gonna dig deep this week, promise. (And no, I’m not gonna get killed so chill out.)

  Love, HotMulletMan1

  (P.S. Bag the phone. Lap Dog grabbed mine and saw your messages on it.)

  I let out a long sigh. It doesn’t feel like enough, but Miles did say I’d be safe. I guess that means I’m staying for now, but I’m not sure how long this can last. There’s no way Dad’s given up—not even Graham could convince him to do that.

  The second I log out, Seth’s in my face. “So?”

  I pull out my phone and drop it to the ground. My flip-flops definitely won’t break it. “Could you crush that for me?”

  “Um, sure.” It cracks under his tennis shoe.

  “Hey! There you are,” Bea calls from the library entrance. She looks between Seth and me with a sly smile. “Did you two forget about tutoring? Everyone’s about to leave.”

  “Oh yeah.” My shoulders slump. “Math. Forgot.”

  Bea’s smile fades. “Is something wrong?”

  “She’s …” Seth gently puts his hand on my shoulder, and I savor the sensation. He keeps touching me like that,

  and I wish he’d just say he liked me so I wouldn’t have to wonder if we’re more than friends or not. “Not feeling well. Maybe we should take you back to Bea’s.”

  Bea raises an eyebrow. “Seth, are you actually saying you’re going to ditch tutoring?”

  “No.” His face goes red. “I … maybe.”

  “I can deal. Don’t worry.” I head for the math room, not particularly interested in explaining myself. Seth has the sense not to ask, but he does spend most of the class working with me, since my test is tomorrow. I wish I could say I cared more—at this point I’m mostly doing it because Seth thinks I can, and he actually smiles when I manage to get a problem right. I owe him at least that after all I’ve put him through.

  Besides, he’s really cute when he smiles.

  “Ugh.” I put my head on the desk after he excuses the others. The thought of doing this for another hour is physically painful.

  “How are you feeling?” Seth puts his hand over my apple-green bangle, and even that gets me all fluttery.

  “Do I have to stay longer? My brain is fried.”

  “You’ve been drilling her like crazy, Seth,” Bea says. “She deserves to go swimming or something. We should all relax.”

  Floating in the water, letting the stress wash away for a second. “Sounds nice.”

  Seth purses his lips. “Well, you did manage a C on this worksheet, so theoretically you should pass tomorrow. But …”

  “But?”

  “You’re going to take this test, right? You won’t play sick to avoid it or anything?” He gulps, and I realize he might think I’m leaving. I did have him destroy my phone.

  “Oh, yeah, I’ll be here. Whether I want to be or not.”

  He smiles, seeming relieved. “We could go swimming, then.”

  “Really?” Bea looks between us suspiciously.

  Seth shrugs. “Sure. I’ll go get Brady and meet you guys there.”

  “Okay, see you!” Bea drags me out the door, as if she’s worried Seth will change his mind. “I don’t know what you’ve done to him, but thank you. I’ve never seen him so happy.”

  My heart does a couple of flips. I’m not sure what Seth and I are, except that we are closer than I ever thought we’d be … and I like it. “Do you have any one-piece swimsuits? I didn’t grab a suit in my rage-packing.”

  She laughs. “No, what about a T-shirt
over it?”

  “It always comes up, and then it looks like someone just left a shirt in the water. I’ve been groped as a result.”

  She winces. “Better not give Carlos that excuse. Would it be so bad to make a quick trip to your house? Maybe your mom’s cooled off by now. She probably misses you.”

  My stomach turns at the thought, but I can’t tell Bea. As far as she knows, my mom and I got in a big fight and that’s why I’ve been at her house. I can’t tell her the whole truth. She’d be too worried. She’d want to help. It’s scary enough having Seth so involved. I can’t put anyone else in danger.

  “If it’s quick, I guess. Maybe she won’t even be home,” I say, since I’m kind of pinned into going. Unless I want to explain it’s not my mom who’s the threat.

  She hops in Sexy Blue. “I won’t even put her in park.”

  We don’t speak, and I can tell she’s thinking about something. She’s not stupid; she has to at least know I’m stressed out. Even if she can’t see my expressions, she has an uncanny knack for picking up my vibes. “Did, um, something happen with your syndicate?”

  I force myself not to react. “Why do you ask?”

  “I don’t know, you’ve been so quiet and secretive lately. You seem … scared.” She takes a sharp turn onto my road. “I wondered if your dad was on to you or something.”

  “It’s nothing you should be worried about.” I can’t tell her the truth, even if she’s zoning in on it. “I just … the math thing is stressing me out.”

  She doesn’t look convinced. “Is it Seth?”

  I freeze. Talk about a subject change. “What?”

  “I’m just saying, you two have been spending more time together, and you seem to be getting along pretty well …”

  “And?” I want her to say it. Maybe if she says what I’m hoping, then it won’t sound as crazy as it does in my head.

  She shrugs. “Those two Mitchell boys have a way of going straight to your heart, don’t they? Like lost puppies you want to take home and keep forever.”

  I watch her as she parks in front of my house, and then it clicks—Brady. She has to like Brady, and she’s testing the waters to see if we can talk about it. “They are pretty annoying that way. And cute.”

  Her eyes light up when she smiles. “I know, right?”

  “I’ll be right back.” I hop out of the car. “And then we’ll talk more.”

  “We better!” Her voice carries in my ears, even as I open the front door. I rush past the living room, ignoring Mom’s cries for information. As much as I want to smooth things out with her, I can’t risk it. I won’t stay here, not until I get concrete information from Miles.

  My suit still hangs on the bathroom doorknob. I grab it, resisting the urge to find my favorite pair of jeans. I am so tired of wearing dresses. When I round the hall corner, I’m met with an angry face, auburn hair wild like fire. But it’s not Mom.

  It’s Graham.

  Chapter 27

  Graham folds his thick arms over his chest, blocking the entire hallway. Even if he didn’t, it wouldn’t matter—it’s not like I could run fast enough to get past him. And Bea’s outside. If he saw her …

  “Fifi, there you are.” His smile is so fake, it hurts. “Going swimming?”

  I clutch my suit. “No. I just need to wash it.”

  When his smile drops, I know he doesn’t buy it. “Not your best lie, sis.”

  “It’s none of your business.” I head back to my room, but he flies over and shoves me into the wall.

  “What did I say?” His breath is stale and hot on my face. “Everything here is my business. If you ever get that close to screwing this up again, I swear I’ll ship you right back to Dad.”

  I can’t seem to find air. “What?”

  “Who was that boy? What were you doing in Saguro?”

  “You … you saw me?” If he saw me, there’s little chance Dad didn’t. My knees get weak, and the only thing keeping me up is Graham’s arm on me. “D-did he—?”

  “No, you idiot. Do you honestly think you’d still be here if he did?” He pushes on my stomach, making it hard to breathe.

  “Then … you’re using him as punishment if I don’t do what you say?”

  His lip curls. “See it however you want. The boy lives around here, doesn’t he? I’m sure it wouldn’t be hard to find him, what with that light red hair and those gangly limbs.”

  My insides go cold at the thought of him hurting Seth or any of my friends. “Graham, please, don’t. He doesn’t know anything.”

  “Your lying is pathetic today. Either you can take me to these supposed friends of yours, or I’ll have to deal with them on my own.” He doesn’t have any names. It would take him time to find out who they are. Maybe I could figure out how to keep them safe.

  “There’s no way I’ll—”

  The doorbell rings. Bea said she wouldn’t even put Sexy Blue in park, but obviously I’ve taken way too long inside.

  Graham raises an eyebrow. “And who might that be?”

  He lets go, flying down the hall before I can grab a full breath. I rush for the stairs, but Mom’s already at the door. “How can I help you?”

  “Um …” Bea spots me, and her eyes widen when she recognizes Graham from the SuperMart incident.

  Graham points to her, all fury. “You.”

  I don’t have time to think. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and that’s enough to muster my courage. I throw myself at Graham and wrap my arms around his waist. My surprise extra weight throws off his balance, and he hits the floor.

  “Run!”

  Bea takes off without a second thought.

  “Fiona! What on earth?” Mom says.

  Graham rips me off him, but maintains a strong grip on my arms. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. I’ll take care of her.”

  She purses her lips. “Graham, don’t hurt her. Give her a chance to explain.”

  I stare at Mom, shocked that she’s defending me over Graham.

  He scoffs. “I gave her a chance. She decided to be difficult.”

  “Graham!” Mom yells, but the door slams behind us. Before I can fight him I’m fifty feet up, with Graham’s arms the only thing between me and falling. My stomach turns, and I close my eyes to block out the shrinking earth. Higher and higher we go, until the air feels thin and cold.

  “If you sold out to another syndicate, consider this your last few minutes,” Graham says.

  “I didn’t! Why the hell would I do that? They’re just friends!” I venture a peek at his face. He’s dead serious about this; he really would kill me. Not like that’s something new for him, but it’s terrifying all the same. I’m in his way, and he can get me out of it.

  “I need more proof than your words. So you better tell me where to find your ‘friends.’”

  I stay silent too long, my fear of heights making it hard to think. He finds my wrist and lets go of everything else. I scream as he dangles me above the desert by one arm. “Graham! No!”

  “Tell me!”

  “They don’t work for anyone, I swear!” My wrist feels like it’s about to snap. I can’t help but picture my skin ripping free of my hand, how it’ll feel to plummet to the hard ground below. He’s always caught me before, but this time I don’t think he will. The tears refuse to stop. “Please … don’t drop me.”

  “I want to meet them. Now.” His grip loosens.

  I don’t want to die. I wish I could be that noble, but I can’t sacrifice my life to keep them safe. I don’t know what that means—if they’re not really friends or if I’m just a horrible person. I suck in my sobs. “They’re probably at the community pool.”

  “That’s a good girl.” Graham slings me over his back, and he soars toward the pool. Seth and Brady will be there at least, which means there’s a good chance The Pack will as well.

  The smallest twinge of hope flickers in me. Brady … if anyone could stop Graham, it’d be him.

  We begin to descen
d, which is far worse than going up. My stomach rolls so badly I almost lose it. When Graham sets me on the ground, my legs buckle, and I end up on top of the grassy hill. Splashing and laughter surround me, and I open my eyes. A few people stare, but other than that it seems all’s well.

  “Fiona!” Seth’s voice comes from behind.

  I turn, finding him, Brady, and the entire Pack running toward us, Bea included. A flood of emotion crashes over me as I stand and run. If I can just get to him, I’ll be safe. Seth grabs me—hugs me—and I gasp and sob into his chest.

  “Thank God.” He runs his hand over my hair, which is surprisingly calming. “Bea told us what happened, and we thought …”

  “And you would be?” Graham says.

  Brady gives him the coldest stare I’ve ever seen come off his face. It’s honestly frightening. “Stay behind me.” He pushes Seth and me back.

  “Are you okay?” Seth whispers. “Did he hurt you?”

  “He … he …” I still feel like I’m about to lose it, so I wrap my arms around him for support. “I’m sorry I brought him here. He was going to drop me, and …”

  “Don’t be sorry. You did the right thing. We don’t want you dead.”

  “Please, don’t let him take me.” My voice is a shaky whisper.

  “I won’t.”

  Graham hovers in front of Brady, a sick smile on his face. “This is all very cute, but I’m gonna need information now.”

  “What makes you think we’re willing to give it?” Bea’s hands go to her hips, like she’s ready to tell him off.

  Graham narrows his eyes. “Who are you with?”

  “Who says we’re with anyone?” Brady asks.

  A small crowd has tuned in, even if they’re pretending not to listen. This conversation needs to end fast.

  Graham smirks. “C’mon, let’s not play games.” He nods at Bea. “She imitates voices, which is way up there on anyone’s list of good attributes. You look pretty strong, so I’m assuming the rest of these people are gifted as well. Not a bad little gang, don’t you think?”

  Brady flexes. “I suggest you leave Fiona alone. And if you don’t, you better believe you’ll pay for it.”