Between Lies Page 2

  I didn’t know what to say. Destined for each other? This boy certainly knew how to play with words and double meanings, and his smirk told me he knew exactly what he’d done. Deciding not to let him see how much he’d gotten to me, I drew in a breath and gave him my most dazzling smile. “So, if we are going to work together on this, shouldn’t I know your name?”

  His face was blank, like he didn’t know what to make of my sudden mood shift. “I’m Cam,” he finally said. His dark eyes studied me and warmth crept up my cheeks. Right then, the bell rang, and I nearly sagged with relief. I gathered up my stuff and shoved them into my bag.

  “So, what’s your next class… Sadie?” I gritted my teeth, hating the way he was drawing out our conversation.

  “Biology.”

  “With Mrs. Smith or Coach Anderson?”

  I startled when he said Anderson. Surely, that’s a common name, and not related to Kade in any way. He never mentioned a family member working at the school. Shaking it off, I mentally scanned my schedule. “I don’t know. It only gave me the room. Number 312.”

  “That’s Coach Anderson.”

  Of course it is.

  I hated to ask him for directions again, but I saw no way out of it. “Can you point me in the right direction?”

  A look of satisfaction slid across his features. “Yep, it’s up on the third floor. Go up the main staircase right outside this room, go to the third floor, and hook a left at the top. It’ll be down that hall. Better hurry, they only give us five minutes between bells.” As he gave me the warning, he remained slouched in his chair, looking for all the world like he didn’t intend on even trying to be on time. Too worried about being late myself, I pushed him from my mind. Slinging my bag across my body, I trailed behind the last stragglers out of the room and hurried toward the crowded stairway. I followed Cam’s directions and dodged my way through the throng of students milling around and flew through the door of my class as the bell rang. Huffing and puffing, I scanned the room and breathed a sigh of relief: it was only about half-full.

  A tall, pale man with honey-blond hair stood at the white board in front. Amazed at the resemblance to Kade, I closed my eyes and reopened them. No, I wasn’t imagining it. He was a dead ringer for an older Kade. He saw me and strolled over. He wore starched khaki pants and a crisp, long-sleeved white shirt. All I could do was marvel at him while questions buzzed in my mind.

  “Sadie, is it?” I nodded. “Welcome to Biology. I’m Coach Anderson. I’m sure you’ll be dazzled while in here.” His tone was droll, making the entire situation even more confusing. By this time, the room had filled up and everyone was seated at lab tables in groups of four. “We have an open chair at table three. You can sit there.” He pointed to a group of girls sitting near the windows. I cringed a little but made my way over to them. They stared curiously at me, but to my relief, I saw no malice in their expressions.

  “Hi, I’m Angie,” one of them said. She was dark haired and pretty, but not in an oppressive way. “These two are Trina and Becca. Welcome.” The other two smiled at me, and one scooted her textbook so I could see it.

  “I’m Becca. Here, you’ll probably need to refer to my book until Coach Anderson gives you one. Which may take forever.” She giggled. “He’s not exactly ‘all there,’” if you know what I mean.”

  “Becca! Don’t be mean,” Angie chided. “He can’t help it if being gorgeous takes up all his brainpower.” She and Becca laughed, while Trina gave a shy smile. I started to relax. These girls were the complete opposite of what I was used to.

  “I’m Sadie.”

  “We know. The school has been buzzing about your arrival,” Becca said.

  “Me? Why?”

  Trina spoke for the first time. Her voice was soft and gentle. “It’s because we haven’t had a new student in forever. And when when you arrived looking so cool, everyone’s been sort of enthralled.”

  At first, I didn’t think I heard her correctly. Is she being sarcastic? “Enthralled? I don’t understand. I’m nothing special.”

  This time it was Angie’s turn. “Are you kidding? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You’re so pretty. And you’ve got style. Truh-ust me, you’re special. Which is really good for you, since that means you can hang with us.” At that, all three of them smiled at me. Confused, but grateful, I smiled back.

  Coach Anderson shut the door and cleared his throat. “Good morning, everyone. I hope you all had a nice weekend.” There were a couple of “yes’s” from the room, but he held his hand up to quiet them. “Today, we’re going to start on the section covering the anatomy of frogs. Turn to page one hundred and fifteen in your books, and take a few moments to look over the first few pages while I grab something from the next room.”

  A girl with a high ponytail and athletic build held up her hand.

  “Yes, Robin?”

  “Is this going to involve us dissecting an actual frog?”

  Coach Anderson sighed. “Yes.” He sounded unenthusiastic about it. Robin crinkled up her nose and formed a silent “eww” with her lips. I heard several other girls in the back of the room moan while their male table mates jeered at them. My own stomach sort of flipped over and bile rose in the back of my throat. Trina glanced at me, her eyes asking the silent question, “Are you okay?” I nodded at her, desperate to believe it.

  “Okay, quiet down. It is what it is. No amount of bemoaning the fact is going to change it.” He stalked out of the room and an immediate eruption of noise took his place as everyone chattered together.

  Becca, Angie, and Trina all exchanged glances and turned toward me in unison. Angie spoke for the group, which I now suspected to be the norm. “You’ll sit with us at lunch. We always sit at the middle table in the middle of the cafeteria.”

  Becca piped in. “Where everyone can see us.”

  My first instinct was to decline. What was with everyone telling me what to do? But Coach Anderson returned to the room, effectively cutting off any conversation. The rest of the period was spent going over a diagram of the insides of a frog and talking about the specimens we’d be practicing on the next day. I was relieved when the bell rang. It seemed like the air in the room had been slowly leaking out since he mentioned cutting up a frog. In fact, I was so disgusted, my puzzlement over his resemblance to Kade had been temporarily repressed. When the bell rang, I scooped up my stuff and waved a hurried good-bye to my new friends.

  “Don’t forget lunch!” Angie called out and I nodded to show I’d heard. I was already feeling overwhelmed with this new environment. Pretending to be human was turning out to be more tiring than I’d thought, and it didn’t help that I was the newest, hottest commodity everyone seemed focused on.

  The school’s room-numbering system was finally making sense. My third-period class was English, in room 307, which meant it was on this floor. I made a beeline down the hall, scanning the numbers of the rooms to figure out if I was heading in the right direction. When I caught sight of my target, I increased my pace, my eyes focused on the door. I didn’t see the water fountain between the girls’ and guys’ bathrooms. I didn’t notice the water dripping out from the bottom of it, collecting in a large-ish pool on my side of the hallway. And I most definitely didn’t see the bright yellow Caution sign sitting next to it. But what I did notice was the squeaking of my shoe as it hit the water, a slight airy feeling as I lost my footing and launched through the air, and finally, the white ceiling tiles above me.

  Chapter Two

  I was on my back in the middle of the floor. A throbbing at the base of my head caught my attention and I gingerly touched it with my fingers. A second later, I winced as they brushed across the knot that had formed.

  “Hey, new girl, are you okay?” A voice, clear and beautiful, pierced my awareness. “Look at my hand. How many fingers am I holding up?”

  I peered at the blurriness in front of my face and counted carefully. “Three,” I said, my own voice fuzzy and slow.

&
nbsp; “Okay, good. That’s a good sign. Can you try to sit up for me?”

  I didn’t want to move. I became aware of the crowd forming around me. Whispers and hushed voices filtered into my ears. How long have I been lying here? I grasped the hand being offered to me and with the mystery girl’s help, slowly sat up. I blinked a few times and finally caught a good look at my rescuer.

  She was gorgeous and somehow familiar looking. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something about her niggled at the back of my mind. Her skin was pale, but in a creamy vanilla way, with the slightest hint of pink to her cheeks. Dark blue eyes watched me, assessing me. Her hair was so dark it looked black, and she wore it in long loose waves that fell well past her shoulders. She was dressed in nearly all black. The only other color I saw was her glossy deep red lips.

  She was still holding my hand, steadying me. “I’m Harper.”

  I loosened my tongue and tried to speak through the dryness in my mouth. “Hi… I’m Sadie.”

  “Well, Sadie, you took a little tumble. I saw it was about to happen, but couldn’t warn you in time.”

  At that moment, the bell rang and the kids who had been surrounding us scattered. I tried to get up, but Harper held me back. “Don’t try to get up just yet. Mrs. Lang went to get the nurse. You smacked your head pretty hard, and it’s best if she checks you over. I’ll wait with you until she gets here.”

  I groaned. Of course I’m getting to see the nurse on my first day of school.

  She looked at me, her eyes questioning, but I shook my head. “It’s a long story.”

  Suddenly, I noticed a wetness seeping through my jeans. I looked down. I was still in the water zone, though on the edge. I could see wet streaks on the floor where my feet had skidded. My bag was resting in the water, where it had apparently fallen off my shoulder as I went down.

  “Ugh, I’m all wet.” I brushed uselessly at the dampness on my legs.

  “Let me grab some paper towels from the restroom. We can try to sop up as much of it as we can.” I nodded and as I waited for her to run in and grab the towels, I reached for the long strap of my bag and tugged it over to me.

  She returned a moment later with a large roll of brown industrial paper towels. We wrapped the scratchy material around our hands until it looked like we had large mittens and began soaking up the water under and around me. We had gone through three rounds of this when two women finally appeared. One was tall, probably close to six foot, with a no-nonsense expression on her face. She made me feel uncomfortable, so I focused on the second lady instead. I assumed she was the nurse since, unlike the other woman, she wore a nameplate attached to her shirt. Ms. Katy. Pretty. She was tiny and fairylike, and I imagined wispy wings sprouting from her shoulder blades to carry her away.

  Oh God, I’m losing my mind.

  “Sadie, I’m Ms. Katy, the school nurse.” She squatted down next to me and gave me a warm smile. “Harper said you hit your head. Let me take a look.” Without waiting for me to agree, her hands were at the base of my skull, gently probing, and making “mm” sounds when she felt the lump. I caught my breath at the sudden sharp pain. “That’s quite a bump, hon. How do you feel?”

  “Fuzzy-headed.” I wasn’t about to mention I’d pictured her as a mythical creature. That was sure to be a one way ticket to the hospital, and even though I’d never been to one, I knew I wouldn’t do well in a place that was fully stocked with blood and yucky smells.

  As if reading my mind, she spoke softly to herself while searching for something in her jacket pockets. I caught the word ambulance and fear squeezed my heart. Finally, she pulled a small flashlight out and aimed it into my eyes. “Look here, dear. That’s right. Now, follow my finger with your eyes.” She passed it back and forth and then up and down and I dutifully did as I was told. Not sure what she was looking for exactly, I prayed I passed the test. With another “mm” she clicked off the light. “Are you nauseated at all?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m okay. Really.”

  “Well, you don’t appear to have a concussion, so that’s good. Do you feel like you could continue the day or would you like to go home?”

  “I want to stay.” The words shot out of my mouth so fast, Ms. Katy drew back slightly. Forcing myself to speak slower, I tried again. “I mean, I don’t want to miss the rest of my classes on my first day. I can take some aspirin.”

  She studied my face a moment and finally nodded her head. “Okay, I’ll let you stay. But I want you to come see me the instant you feel anything abnormal. Upset stomach, dizziness, anything. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  For the first time, the other woman spoke. “Sadie, I’m Mrs. Lang. I believe you are in my class. I’ll give you a few more minutes to pull yourself together, and then I’ll expect you.” Without another word, she turned around and entered the room across the hall.

  Harper, who I just realized was still holding my hand, muttered under her breath. “Unbelievable.”

  I agreed. So far, I’d been rather fortunate with the teachers I’d been assigned, but it looked like that luck had run out.

  Ms. Katy took my elbow and, with Harper’s help, pulled me slowly to my feet. The world swayed a minute, but a few deep breaths righted it. “Thank you.”

  “Of course, hon. Remember, come see me immediately if you start to feel worse. I’m going to find the janitor and make sure we get this fountain fixed.” She patted me on the back and, with a cheery smile and light step, practically floated away.

  Harper finally let go of my hand. “I guess I better get to class. I’m glad you’re okay.” She was smiling at me, but her eyes were serious. Suddenly not wanting her to go yet, I asked the first thing that popped into my head.

  “Um, can you take a look and see how bad the damage is?” I half turned.

  Understanding what I was asking, she took a quick glance. “Well… at least a lot of kids saw it happen, so there are plenty of eyewitnesses who can attest you didn’t pee your pants.”

  In what was becoming an epic case of déjà vu, I moaned. “Is it that bad?”

  I could hear the smile in her voice. “It’s… wet.”

  Sighing, I slung my bag over my shoulder. “I guess wet will simply have to do.” I nodded at the room Mrs. Lang had disappeared into. “Is she that bad?” My voice sounded defeated to my own ears.

  Harper pursed her lips. “No,” she finally answered, “it’s not that she’s bad. She’s just… I suppose brusque is the best word to use. I think she means well but is socially awkward and doesn’t know how to show it.”

  I perked up a little bit. As long as I didn’t have to deal with true malice, I could cope. Socially awkward. I felt her pain.

  “Okay, well, she’s probably wondering where I am. Thanks. For the rescue and for hanging out with me until the nurse got here.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m just glad you’re not hurt worse. Like, if there had been blood or something.”

  My stomach clenched at the mention of blood. Did she know something more? Is she trying to tell me something?

  “Yeah, that would’ve been bad.”

  “See ya around, Sadie.”

  “See ya.”

  I watched her walk down the hallway, my mind churning over what she’d said. I noticed she was taller than I’d realized from my seat on the ground. She moved gracefully, almost regally, in black glossy heels. Her dress ended just above her knees, swirling beautifully as she walked. She was so different from the rest of the students. Classy. Chic. I wondered what had made her stop to help me. Did she somehow recognize I was different, too?

  I slipped into my classroom, trying my best to make a nonentrance. But, of course, that didn’t work. Mrs. Lang nodded at me but didn’t break stride from what she was saying, despite every single head turning to look at me. There were a couple of smirks, but mostly I saw sympathy. Though I hated the thought of being laughed at, somehow sympathy was worse. I found a seat on the side aisle and stared straight ahead. Even then, I felt t
he eyes on me. Curiosity was taking over the room.

  Finally, Mrs. Lang noticed nobody was listening to her. She stopped and sighed heavily. “Everyone, this is Sadie. Though, I’m sure most of you saw her in the hallway.” My face burned. “Can we now focus on the actual lesson?”

  One by one, kids went back to what they’d been doing. Which was not paying attention to Mrs. Lang. Nearly everyone had their phone out and I saw more than a few people with earbuds in. One group near the back was having a whispered discussion, and the guy in front of me was doodling in his notebook. From my vantage point, I could see an intricate dragon tail. I watched his fingers as he held the pencil. It moved swiftly across the paper with quick strokes interrupted by just as much erasing. The repeated motion relaxed me, causing me to forget the dampness of my jeans, the ache in my head, and the wave of fatigue that threatened to take me out. Mrs. Lang’s voice droned in the background. Even I couldn’t seem to pay any attention to her.

  A few girls were passing notes to each other. Every once in a while, one of them would flick their eyes toward me. I pretended not to notice. But when someone tapped me on the arm, it startled me. As I turned, the boy next to me held out a folded piece of paper. I stared at it a second and he waved it at me. I took it, wondering if I needed to hide my face while reading it in case I ended up crying.

  Oh, put your big girl underwear on, Sadie. You’ve survived worse than a mean note.

  I took a deep breath and unfolded the paper. Reading the loopy cursive handwriting, my stomach flipped.

  Hey, I hope you’re okay. Sit with us at lunch. We’ll show you what’s the what.

  xoxo

  Kitty

  Kitty? What kind of name is that?

  I looked over to the group of note-passers and a dark-haired girl waved, a smile on her sweet face. I think I smiled at her, but I was too busy trying not to stress about her invitation. I was already committed to eating with Angie’s group. A choice that was made for me. How was I going to decline without making an enemy? How was I even in this situation in the first place?