Betrayed by Melinda Metz - Fingerprints - 5 Page B
Authors: Melinda Metz - Fingerprints - 5
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knew to use your name? Because whoever it was thought I would trust you enough to meet you."
Aiden took Rae's head in his hands and leaned so close, their faces almost touched. "If you don't do exactly as I say, you could lose everything and everyone you care about." He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if Rae were a very young child. "If you're contacted again, call me. That's all you need to know."
Right, Rae thought. Just call him. That's easy. That's simple. It's not like every single time I decide who to trust, I'm putting my life in danger.
Chapter 5
The bell rang. Anthony blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting it. And how land of the bizarre was that? Had he ever been in a freakin' class and not known how many minutes until his release? Especially when it was the last class of the day. Most of the time he'd had his eyes on the clock, watching the second hand's final rotation, watching the minute hand click into place.
Anthony grabbed his binder and his reading book and jammed them in his backpack, then headed for the door.
"Got a minute?" Jesperson, Anthony's English teacher, asked.
"Uh, sure," Anthony answered, his stomach cramping a little the way it always did when a teacher wanted to talk to him alone. He came to a stop in frontof Jesperson's desk. Jesperson was half sitting, half leaning on the edge. The guy hardly ever sat behind it. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to check in with you and see how you're doing. It's a big change moving from Fillmore to here,"
Jesperson said.
"Big, yeah," Anthony agreed. He knew he should say something else, but he'd gotten a case of Bluebird brain.
Nothing but around twenty words in the head anywhere. "But I'm doing okay." "You like your tutor?" Jesperson asked.
"Yeah, uh-huh," Anthony told him. And it was true. The guy was a book geek, but he never made Anthony feel like a moron. It was kind of like working with Rae. Except the tutor boy didn't smell like citrus and girl. And he didn't trace words on Anthony's skin the way Rae had. Not that Anthony wanted him to. But when Rae did it… it was like her fingertip was sexier than other girls' whole bodies.
"And you're making friends?" Jesperson said, sounding like the answer was really important to him. "The guys on the team," Anthony answered. "No one else?" Jesperson pressed.
Anthony shrugged. "I've met some people. It hasn't been that long."
Jesperson stood up. "Of course it hasn't. I'm sure in a few more weeks you'll know pretty much everyone around."
"Yeah, uh-huh," Anthony said again. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Was that it? Could he go now?
"If you need any help beyond what your tutor can give you-or just want to talk-I'm available." Jesperson clapped Anthony on the back.
"Okay, thanks," Anthony answered, backing toward the door. "See you." He turned and made it through the door, glad to escape before Jesperson said anything else. Anthony'd used most of his twenty words, and besides, there was something about Jesperson. He seemed… Anthony shook his head. He seemed a little too interested.
Interested wasn't quite it, but something like that.
Whatever, Anthony thought as he hurried down the hall. He made a right, then stopped, his sneakers squeaking.
Rae was standing by his locker. Crap. He wasn't up for talking to Rae, not when Yana was probably already in the parking lot, waiting for him. He took a step backward. The locker stop wasn't absolutely necessary. He'd He'd go up and talk to her. Because she'd already seen him, was already smiling at him. "Hey," he said as he approached her, her blue eyes pulling on himlike a tractor beam. You'll just make it really fast, he coached himself. You'll do the locker book exchange, then say you have football practice and that'll be it.
Anthony reached for his lock and started dialing in the combination.
"Um, hey," Rae replied. "I was hoping we could maybe go somewhere, like to Chick Filet or something, because you-" "I can't," Anthony burst
Aiden took Rae's head in his hands and leaned so close, their faces almost touched. "If you don't do exactly as I say, you could lose everything and everyone you care about." He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if Rae were a very young child. "If you're contacted again, call me. That's all you need to know."
Right, Rae thought. Just call him. That's easy. That's simple. It's not like every single time I decide who to trust, I'm putting my life in danger.
Chapter 5
The bell rang. Anthony blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting it. And how land of the bizarre was that? Had he ever been in a freakin' class and not known how many minutes until his release? Especially when it was the last class of the day. Most of the time he'd had his eyes on the clock, watching the second hand's final rotation, watching the minute hand click into place.
Anthony grabbed his binder and his reading book and jammed them in his backpack, then headed for the door.
"Got a minute?" Jesperson, Anthony's English teacher, asked.
"Uh, sure," Anthony answered, his stomach cramping a little the way it always did when a teacher wanted to talk to him alone. He came to a stop in frontof Jesperson's desk. Jesperson was half sitting, half leaning on the edge. The guy hardly ever sat behind it. "What's up?"
"Just wanted to check in with you and see how you're doing. It's a big change moving from Fillmore to here,"
Jesperson said.
"Big, yeah," Anthony agreed. He knew he should say something else, but he'd gotten a case of Bluebird brain.
Nothing but around twenty words in the head anywhere. "But I'm doing okay." "You like your tutor?" Jesperson asked.
"Yeah, uh-huh," Anthony told him. And it was true. The guy was a book geek, but he never made Anthony feel like a moron. It was kind of like working with Rae. Except the tutor boy didn't smell like citrus and girl. And he didn't trace words on Anthony's skin the way Rae had. Not that Anthony wanted him to. But when Rae did it… it was like her fingertip was sexier than other girls' whole bodies.
"And you're making friends?" Jesperson said, sounding like the answer was really important to him. "The guys on the team," Anthony answered. "No one else?" Jesperson pressed.
Anthony shrugged. "I've met some people. It hasn't been that long."
Jesperson stood up. "Of course it hasn't. I'm sure in a few more weeks you'll know pretty much everyone around."
"Yeah, uh-huh," Anthony said again. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Was that it? Could he go now?
"If you need any help beyond what your tutor can give you-or just want to talk-I'm available." Jesperson clapped Anthony on the back.
"Okay, thanks," Anthony answered, backing toward the door. "See you." He turned and made it through the door, glad to escape before Jesperson said anything else. Anthony'd used most of his twenty words, and besides, there was something about Jesperson. He seemed… Anthony shook his head. He seemed a little too interested.
Interested wasn't quite it, but something like that.
Whatever, Anthony thought as he hurried down the hall. He made a right, then stopped, his sneakers squeaking.
Rae was standing by his locker. Crap. He wasn't up for talking to Rae, not when Yana was probably already in the parking lot, waiting for him. He took a step backward. The locker stop wasn't absolutely necessary. He'd He'd go up and talk to her. Because she'd already seen him, was already smiling at him. "Hey," he said as he approached her, her blue eyes pulling on himlike a tractor beam. You'll just make it really fast, he coached himself. You'll do the locker book exchange, then say you have football practice and that'll be it.
Anthony reached for his lock and started dialing in the combination.
"Um, hey," Rae replied. "I was hoping we could maybe go somewhere, like to Chick Filet or something, because you-" "I can't," Anthony burst
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