“She, um…she killed her bed,” Eliana said, her blue eyes flickering toward them with a wince.
“She broke her bed?” Tray reiterated, unsurprised. “Out of anger, I assume?” Eliana nodded once, and he snorted. “Well, isn’t that karma? She broke my bed once—on purpose, of course. I’m going to mentally tear her apart for her sheer idiocy.”
“Yeah, and then she’s going to physically tear you apart,” Seth retorted with a chuckle that caused his twin’s lips to curl with chagrin. “Where is she, anyway? I thought she would have come over here, since she loves food.”
They glanced sideways at Eliana, expectantly, and she immediately began to blush.
“Oh, um…I’m not sure,” she admitted sheepishly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “When I left our room, she was…ranting to herself…about the uniforms.”
“I love these uniforms,” Seth enthused as he admired his cargo pants. “Better than the preppy uniforms I thought we were gonna have to wear.”
“I wish we were wearing preppy clothes,” Tray grumbled, dearly missing his sweaters and khakis. Eliana didn’t seem to have an opinion on the matter; not wanting her to think he was a total grump, Tray cleared his throat and turned toward her, straining to plaster a brighter expression on his face. “Are you, uh, enjoying it here? Hopefully the classes will be informative.”
“Yeah,” was all she said, avoiding his gaze. “Have either of you…seen Hastings?”
“Oh, yeah—he’s my roommate,” Seth told her with a sigh. “I was hoping for someone who, you know, talks. No offense,” he added before shoving more eggs into his mouth. “He was in his bed when I left. I don’t want to assume he’s dead, but I was being pretty loud and he wasn’t moving.”
“I’ll go check on him,” Eliana announced, jumping up a bit too quickly from her chair. She straightened herself as her lips twitched nervously. “I might, uh, be able to sense if he’s…living.”
Seth nodded without question, but Tray scrutinized her as she scurried out through the cafeteria’s glass doors. “Why do you think she’s so interested in Hastings?” he asked, his vision fixed on the spot where she had disappeared from his sight.
His brother shrugged indifferently. “She digs him.”
“She digs him? You think Eliana is—is infatuated with that guy? He doesn’t talk.”
“She can read minds, bro. He’s probably got some intense and emotional thoughts swirling up in that head. Girls like guys with a soft side—trust me—and you don’t have one.”
“W-well, I wasn’t saying—I don’t think…that she should like me—no,” Tray stammered, hating how inarticulate his speech sounded. “She—she’s—you know—we barely know her. She could be…stupid—or get bad grades—or secretly be like Adara!”
A snort emitted from Seth’s nostrils while a grin spread across his lips. “You’ve definitely got the hots for her, dude—and I was convinced you were only sexually attracted to books. I guess now we know that twin telepathy is a myth.”
“We have always known it’s a myth—”
“Stop talking, Nerdworm,” Adara barked as she assumed the seat Eliana had occupied only moments ago. With satisfied eyes, she appraised the plate of food her roommate had left behind and then began to pick food from it with her fingers. “Morning, Seth,” she greeted with a head nod.
“The uniform didn’t suit you as it was, huh?” he observed as she shoveled a handful of scrambled eggs into her mouth. She’d ripped the crew neck of her t-shirt to make it a V-neck and distressed some of the material of her moss-colored cargo pants, giving her an edgier look. Typical.
“No. The only reason I wore it at all is because freaking Fraco didn’t let me bring any other clothes.” The words were said aggressively enough that spittle flew from her lips. Tray nearly gagged when he noticed a few little pieces of egg escape, as well. “Green is ugly. I’d almost rather have that nasty orange—”
“Hey, guys.” Ackerly Terrier, Tray’s roommate, smiled politely as he placed his plate on the table and claimed the chair next to Adara. The kid seemed decent enough, but Tray didn’t enjoy the idea of sharing a room with him—or anyone—due to his preference of solitude. “I like these uniforms,” Ackerly said. “The green is cool, don’t you think, Adara?”
“Don’t make me punch you,” she growled before chomping down on a piece of bacon.
“Speaking of being punched,” Tray drawled, “how’s your nose feeling, Stromer?”
Though her face was no longer soiled with blood, Adara’s nose now held a tinge of purple that was very similar to the Mentals’ cargo pants. Her eyes slivered while her nose fought to remain in a neutral position. “It’s feeling great, Nerdworm,” she replied with false enthusiasm. “Thanks for the concern—it’s doing so much for my sinking self-esteem.”
“It doesn’t look great,” Ackerly pointed out, craning his neck to view her face. “Maybe you should go see the school nurse. I heard he’s got a healing Affinity.”
Tray found it difficult not to smirk at her irritation. “I don’t need to be healed,” she said. “My nose is fine. This place is what’s not fine. Have any of you really looked at this room we’re in? It’s as putrid and childish as an elementary school cafeteria.”
“Aethelred said that was the idea when they built it,” Tray explained. “They wanted it to have a friendly vibe, probably so it feels less like the prison it is.”
“Oh, you have regular conversations with Devil-Red now, do you?” Adara questioned. “Not shocking, really, since you’re both the smart-nerd type. What is hard to believe is that your power is Physical and not Mental. I didn’t think your scrawny body was capable of anything useful.”
Tray’s jaw shifted with vexation. “What’s hard to believe is that you haven’t been thrown into a real prison yet, Stromer. If you want to get into the topic of conversations, why don’t we talk about your conversation with your brother? You must be relieved to know he abandoned you because he cared more about his superpowers than his little sister.”
Adara had grabbed her plate and was preparing to smash it over his head when a melodramatic sigh cut through their quarrel. Kiki Belven had positioned herself in the seat next to Seth’s, her blue eyes languid with boredom and her strawberry-blonde hair falling over her shoulders in endless curls. Without makeup, her eyelashes were softer and her freckles darker against her skin, and in her white t-shirt and purple cargo pants, Tray thought she almost looked like a normal human being. Nothing would ever change the snooty upward curve of her nose, though, especially as her gaze fell upon Adara.
“I didn’t know your face could get any uglier,” she said as she examined the other girl’s bruised and broken nose.
“Say that again?” Adara prompted, whipping her vicious attention from Tray to their lifelong bully. The plate was still clutched between her whitening fingers, threatening to shatter.
“I was just telling myself how nicely your reddish nose compliments your reddening hair,” Kiki responded aloofly. “And, since you’re such a great person, I think you’d be a great roommate.”
Adara blinked, dropping the plate and remaining still as it clanged against the table. “What?”
“I need you to switch with Lavisa,” Kiki hissed, leaning across Seth to get closer to her. “She is my roommate and she is awful.”
Adara opened her mouth several times before saying, “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Kiki groaned. “Switch with the witch!”
“You want me to be your roommate?”
“This girl points out all of my flaws!” she cried, grabbing hold of Seth for support. “She is a monster!”
“I point out your flaws all the time,” Adara reminded her flatly.
“Yes, but you have way more flaws than me, so I don’t feel bad about it. This girl—she has no flaws! She’s perfect, and I cannot be around someone more perfect than me. What if—” She paused, covering her mouth from her boyfriend’s view with her hand.
“What if Seth starts comparing me to her and breaks up with me?”
“Oh, because he’ll realize you’re a narcissistic psychopath?” Adara clarified, her voice audible to the entire table. “Huh, what a shame that would be.”
Kiki lowered her hand as her expression shifted from aggravation to desperation. “Just switch with her! Please!”
“You know,” Adara started as she leaned back in her chair, “I think I like Lavisa even more now upon hearing she’s cruel to you. Maybe I should befriend her and we can team up against you.”
The blonde emitted a shrieking groan as her hands balled into fists. “You will be my roommate! I can see it now.”
Adara’s eyebrows shot up dubiously. “See what?”
“That you will eventually say yes to my irresistible proposal,” she answered matter-of-factly. “How can you not, Adara? We’ve known each other since we were children.”
“And I’ve hated you since we were children! You’ve made my social life hell.”
“Exactly—we have a strong bond. Me and this other girl? No bond—not one bond. We were destined to be roommates, me and you.”
“We were destined to be enemies,” Adara countered. “And I like my roommate, just so you know. She’s quiet, simple, and she doesn’t try to force me into stuff with her voodoo magic.”
“What voodoo magic?” Kiki demanded shrilly.
“You always say, like, ‘You will do this,’ as if you’re trying to hypnotize me. It’s weird.”
“Yeah, it’s weird,” Seth agreed with a nod. His girlfriend growled and he choked on his food. “Weirdly attractive, I mean.”
“It is not weird.” She elevated her chin with dignity. “I am predicting the future. It’s how I convince people to do what I want. If they already think they’re going to do it, they’re much more likely to comply. So, you will be my roommate.”
“I won’t.”
“Hey, it can’t be so bad,” Seth tried to reason with Kiki. “At least your roommate’s not mute. I tried speaking Mexican to him—you know, hola—since he looks like he might be Mexican, but he wouldn’t even respond to that, so I’m convinced he just doesn’t have a tongue.”
“It’s called Spanish,” was Lavisa’s greeting as she plopped down next to Ackerly. Kiki sucked in a breath and then froze as she stared, wide-eyed, at her roommate. “And he’s not Mexican. He told me his mother’s from Peru—”
“Hold up,” Seth interjected, raising his hand. “Hastings told you where his mother’s from? As in…he spoke?”
Lavisa’s lips twisted before she exhaled a breath. “No. I read through some of Fraco’s files last night because he left them in the lounge.”
The way Adara’s expression morphed was devilish. “Reading classified files, Mustard? Maybe we should be friends.”
The yellow-haired girl took a moment to evaluate her and then said, “You’re a little too rude for my taste.”
“You’re rude, too!” Kiki exclaimed.
“Fine. Adara is self-centered, reckless, and impulsive—all qualities I abhor.”
“We all know she’s careless,” Seth droned before Adara could attempt to vindicate her unfavorable characteristics. “Tell us what else you read about my mysterious roommate.”
“Didn’t read much before Fraco confiscated the files,” she replied with a shrug. “Only saw some history about his mom—how she moved to the US and such.”
“Well, that’s not helpful,” Seth mumbled as he slumped back in his chair.
“Guess you’ll have to do what normal people do and talk to him to get to know him,” Lavisa suggested, her yellow eyebrows jumping.
Strangely, Tray found himself fascinated with her behavior. His first instinct was to detest her sass, but she was sassing Seth, Adara, and Kiki for their stupidity—essentially voicing all of the opinions he’d never cared to speak. She was certainly too…wild for him to trust—too unpredictable and savage—but it was refreshing to know there was at least one other shrewd person at this table.
“Did you see anyone else’s files?” Adara asked Lavisa, feigning a casual air. “Mine, maybe?”
“No, but you’re a thief, I’ve heard. I’m sure you can sneak into his office and find it, if you so desire. Fraco is the vice principal, though, so his office might be more secure than Kiki’s house.”
“The Belvens are high class,” Kiki sneered. “We keep our house very secure.”
“So you think,” Adara muttered with a sly smirk before biting into an apple. Her devious moods were always dangerous, so when Tray spotted a familiar face on the opposite side of the cafeteria, he knew it would be the perfect method with which to crush her spirits.
“Hey, Stromer, is that Avner over there?”
She didn’t take the bait in the theatric way he’d hoped, but she did glance over at her brother briefly, frowning at his neon-yellow head as he took a seat at a table with his friends. Tray almost hadn’t recognized him with the blinding hair color, since it had always been black in their youth—not to mention that Avner Stromer had hit a growth spurt since their last encounter. It was unmistakably him, though, given he had the same eyes and nose as Adara—or, at least, he had until his eyes had morphed from brown to yellow and her nose had swollen into a scarlet balloon.
“Well, that’s my cue to leave,” Adara intoned before violently chucking her half-eaten apple at Tray’s face. Spluttering, he wiped away the spit and juice just in time to see her haul Ackerly out of his seat. “Get up, Greenie. We’re going.”
“To—um—where, exactly?” he stammered, dropping his fork.
Adara’s blistering eyes flew to her brother, who was speaking amicably with a group of his friends, completely unaware of her existence. Her longing was palpable—and familiar. It was the same demeanor that overcame her whenever Seth ditched her to hang out with Kiki or Tray ignored her to do homework.
He got the distinct impression that some of her ire might have been aimed at him when she kicked in her chair and said, “Anywhere but here.”
Foreign thoughts prickled at Eliana’s mind as she approached room 302 in the Residence Tower. Thankfully, they were less intrusive and aggressive than the emotions that had been bombarding her in the cafeteria, where too many people had been congregated. Here, she could sense that most of the rooms were vacant; Hastings’s consciousness, however, was strong within his dorm, radiating with a painful aura of remorse. Tentatively, she lifted her dainty hand to the white door and knocked.
The silence that ensued was startling. Prior to knocking, waves of emotions had been crashing on her brain, but now there was a void, as if the person on the other side of the door had disappeared completely. Frustrated, she considered just barging into the room—until Hastings cleared the doorway.
His long, burgundy hair was matted and frayed on top of his head, covering one of his eyes completely. He wore the same purple pajama pants that Eliana and apparently all of the Mentals had been granted, but his torso was free of garments, revealing his scarred and bruised skin. Upon realizing who stood in the corridor, Hastings hid his body behind the door and peeked out.
“S-sorry,” Eliana stuttered, her eyelids fluttering awkwardly. “I didn’t mean—I thought—”
“It’s fine,” he interjected gruffly, brushing aside a clump of hair obstructing his vision. “Did I miss class?”
“Um, no, I just—I came up here to make sure you weren’t late. And, uh…Seth was worried you were dead.”
“I’m a heavy sleeper,” he responded without hesitation. “Give me a minute.”
Eliana opened her mouth, but he’d retreated into his room before she could vocalize any of her flustered thoughts. The door was left slightly ajar, and she was careful not to let her eyes wander through the crack. A moment later, Hastings emerged with his hair smoothened and his school uniform on.
“You…do know your power, right?” she asked as he closed the door to his room behind him.
“Why do you think I’ve been in
prison for ten years?” His tone wasn’t dark, but Eliana was still unable to read the exact feelings that festered behind his ominous words.
“Is your Affinity to…block mind readers?” she asked, eyeing him with uncertainty.
“That would be ironic,” he noted before strolling past her toward the spiral staircase. “I can, to an extent, but it’s not my Affinity. I’ve just gotten good at suppressing my emotions—I’ve had to.”
Eliana bit her tongue, following him wordlessly down toward the lounge, not daring to voice any of her budding inquiries until they’d exited the tower and stepped into the thick August air. Hastings squinted as the sun’s rays illuminated the red of his hair. The various hues and highlights were mesmerizing; so caught up in imagining how she might capture them in a painting, Eliana nearly forgot what she’d meant to ask.
“So…well, when I was approaching your room…I sensed…agony—from you,” she sputtered, peering up at him as they sauntered down the paved path. “Were you…dreaming?”
“Yes.”
“Is your Affinity the reason you were imprisoned?” she pried as they neared the Naturals Building. The buzz of students within the ground floor’s cafeteria diffused even through the concrete walls.
“Yes.”
She licked her lips and then forced herself to ask, “Is it…bad?”
“You really don’t know?” His voice was exasperated as he spun on her, halting her completely. “You haven’t sifted through my brain to figure it out?”
“I-I haven’t mastered my Affinity,” she spewed, feeling hot and guilty under his critical glare. “I can only sense emotions—not so much specific thoughts—and I can’t see any of your past like Aethelred. I…I doubt I’ll ever be any good at what I can do.”
A sigh escaped his mouth as he glanced up at the clear blue sky. “One of my…friends—in prison—was a mind reader. He taught me how to resist his Affinity. You’re not as incompetent as you think. You’ll improve.”
Eliana fidgeted with the hem of her shirt while inhaling deeply through her nose. “What happened to your friend?” Suddenly, she was slammed with a surge of rage and grief, and when she mustered the strength to gaze up at Hastings, his dark red eyes were boring into her intensely.
Blood: An Affinities Novel (The Affinities Book 1) Page 10