to him, I shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe it’ll help. Why are you awake anyway?
He yawned. “I thought you were Mom, and I was coming out to head her off before she got back into that room. Something down there is not right. And it wants her.”
“You saw it?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Fear shivered in Grant’s eyes, even in the dark. “Saw what?”
“There was a presence there earlier.”
“No,” he said. “I didn’t see anything. I just didn’t like the way it felt back there.”
I slid an arm around his shoulders and squeezed. When he didn’t pull away, I realized how freaked out he was. “Listen, Grant, it’ll be all right. Things don’t look good for now, but it will turn around.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t lie to me or feed me optimistic bull. You’re worried, and it scares the shit out of me. So do my dreams, honestly.”
“Dreams?”
“Horrible nightmares I can’t seem to shake. A lot of death and blood and dark things I don’t want to think about.”
Helplessness overwhelmed me, and I hugged him. “I’m sorry. What can I do to help?”
“Just don’t—” He stopped and blew out a long breath. “Don’t lie to me. Give me honest answers when I ask you questions. Mom and Dad and everyone else have done enough of it. You’re the only one who hasn’t. I feel like it’s you and me against everyone else.”
Tears burned my eyes and I blinked them back, grateful he couldn’t see them in the darkness. “Deal.”
He stretched, then rose. “I think it’s time to try and get back to bed. School starts tomorrow.” We headed back to our respective rooms, and Grant chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Never in my life have I been so happy to say those words.”
***
Mom dropped us off in front of Ocean Lakes High School with a smile and a wave. Grant leapt out of the car. I hung back, my thumbs hooked in the straps of the book bag, staring up at the brick building. Memories of other hallways and the whispers and stinging comments welled up. Nervous butterflies fluttered in my gut.
“Hello!” Bryan waved, looping a huge camera around his neck as he hurried across the wide expanse of cement sidewalk to us. A few people gave us a curious once-over and moved on.
“Hey, Bryan.” I tried to keep my tone upbeat. Right now, I wanted to blend in. With one finger, I motioned to the digital camera. “What’s all this?”
“I’m on the newspaper and yearbook staff. The more photos we have, the better, right?”
I nodded and allowed him to lead the way into the building. As he chattered about the student body and various club activities he knew I’d love, I slipped my class schedule from my pocket.
“Hello again.” A deep voice sounded behind me, and I suppressed a shiver. The boy from the grocery store. He stretched out a hand when I turned. “Haven Elliott. We met the other day.”
“I remember,” I said and pumped his hand up and down. “Nice to see you again.”
Haven’s glance grew glacial as he turned to Bryan. “Nice to see you too, Bryan.”
Bryan’s smile faded a little. “Always a pleasure, Haven.”
They both looked like they’d rather chew nails than talk to each other. Bryan looked back at me and the schedule in my hand. “So, what classes have you got?”
I handed him my schedule to look at. Haven shifted his book bag on his shoulders, his gaze moving to the clock. “Maybe I’ll see you later, Claire. I hope you like Ocean Lakes.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. “Me too.”
Bryan handed back my schedule. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve got a couple classes together.”
Forcing a smile, I glanced at the first room number, then folded it and stuck it in my pocket. “Of course not. But you and Haven don’t seem to get along well.”
Bryan shrugged. “We’ve known each other a long time. Nothing big.”
“Oh.”
He waved to someone across the hall, then flashed me a wide grin. “I’ll see you in
He yawned. “I thought you were Mom, and I was coming out to head her off before she got back into that room. Something down there is not right. And it wants her.”
“You saw it?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Fear shivered in Grant’s eyes, even in the dark. “Saw what?”
“There was a presence there earlier.”
“No,” he said. “I didn’t see anything. I just didn’t like the way it felt back there.”
I slid an arm around his shoulders and squeezed. When he didn’t pull away, I realized how freaked out he was. “Listen, Grant, it’ll be all right. Things don’t look good for now, but it will turn around.”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t lie to me or feed me optimistic bull. You’re worried, and it scares the shit out of me. So do my dreams, honestly.”
“Dreams?”
“Horrible nightmares I can’t seem to shake. A lot of death and blood and dark things I don’t want to think about.”
Helplessness overwhelmed me, and I hugged him. “I’m sorry. What can I do to help?”
“Just don’t—” He stopped and blew out a long breath. “Don’t lie to me. Give me honest answers when I ask you questions. Mom and Dad and everyone else have done enough of it. You’re the only one who hasn’t. I feel like it’s you and me against everyone else.”
Tears burned my eyes and I blinked them back, grateful he couldn’t see them in the darkness. “Deal.”
He stretched, then rose. “I think it’s time to try and get back to bed. School starts tomorrow.” We headed back to our respective rooms, and Grant chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“Never in my life have I been so happy to say those words.”
***
Mom dropped us off in front of Ocean Lakes High School with a smile and a wave. Grant leapt out of the car. I hung back, my thumbs hooked in the straps of the book bag, staring up at the brick building. Memories of other hallways and the whispers and stinging comments welled up. Nervous butterflies fluttered in my gut.
“Hello!” Bryan waved, looping a huge camera around his neck as he hurried across the wide expanse of cement sidewalk to us. A few people gave us a curious once-over and moved on.
“Hey, Bryan.” I tried to keep my tone upbeat. Right now, I wanted to blend in. With one finger, I motioned to the digital camera. “What’s all this?”
“I’m on the newspaper and yearbook staff. The more photos we have, the better, right?”
I nodded and allowed him to lead the way into the building. As he chattered about the student body and various club activities he knew I’d love, I slipped my class schedule from my pocket.
“Hello again.” A deep voice sounded behind me, and I suppressed a shiver. The boy from the grocery store. He stretched out a hand when I turned. “Haven Elliott. We met the other day.”
“I remember,” I said and pumped his hand up and down. “Nice to see you again.”
Haven’s glance grew glacial as he turned to Bryan. “Nice to see you too, Bryan.”
Bryan’s smile faded a little. “Always a pleasure, Haven.”
They both looked like they’d rather chew nails than talk to each other. Bryan looked back at me and the schedule in my hand. “So, what classes have you got?”
I handed him my schedule to look at. Haven shifted his book bag on his shoulders, his gaze moving to the clock. “Maybe I’ll see you later, Claire. I hope you like Ocean Lakes.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. “Me too.”
Bryan handed back my schedule. “I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve got a couple classes together.”
Forcing a smile, I glanced at the first room number, then folded it and stuck it in my pocket. “Of course not. But you and Haven don’t seem to get along well.”
Bryan shrugged. “We’ve known each other a long time. Nothing big.”
“Oh.”
He waved to someone across the hall, then flashed me a wide grin. “I’ll see you in
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