a lab.”
“So what?”
“So we can’t work on our project right now.” Her blue eyes turned to slits. “The project is homework—meaning we do it out of school.”
Her attitude made me smile. No one talked back to me. I hated to admit I was impressed, but I was.
I laid my chin on my hand, covering up my grin. “I do homework in class.” Or not at all. It wasn’t like I’d get to graduate if I was dead.
Jess blinked, her face reddening. “Well, I do it at home.”
I shrugged. “Then whose problem is this exactly?”
She gripped the table with her tiny hands. “Look, Eric—”
I laughed. “You call me Welborn, remember?”
She groaned and laid her forehead on the black desk. “This is impossible.”
“Welcome to high school,” I said, and she pushed her chair backward, scraping the metal legs against the tile floor. Goose bumps crawled over my skin, and I turned away. “I’m busy outside of school anyway.” With a girl.
I also had a meeting with the elders tonight. I didn’t have time to worry about my human life. I needed to prepare to deal with Luthicer and Eu, two of the fiercest Dark elders. They expected a lot from the first descendant, yet I had nothing to show them.
“Maybe I’m busy too, Welborn,” Jessica said, leaning over to catch my gaze. She was persistent. “Did you ever think of that?”
My lips pulled into an uncontrollable grin. “I can’t take your anger seriously.”
She hit the table and stood up. “Whatever, Welborn,” she said, collecting her bag. “If you stop being a selfish prick, I’ll be with Crystal and Robb.”
This time, I was the one to glare. “So you can ask them more questions about me?” I asked, knowing I was revealing my eavesdropping.
She paled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring her denial. “I’d prefer you ask me about my problems instead of gossiping,” I said. “It isn’t a good look on you.”
She froze, but she didn’t redden. Instead, she raised her brow and leaned down, whispering. “And being an asshole isn’t a good look on anyone.”
Then, she turned and walked away. I watched her sit next to her friends, struck with the peculiar urge to stop her. I’m not an asshole. I wanted to say it, but it was too late. She was gone, and I couldn’t even distract myself with our science lab.
I was already done.
11
Jessica
“Peanut butter and chocolate is the best medicine,” Crystal said, dropping the sticky mess in front of me.
I stared at it, unable to feel hungry. I was too angry. Eric was so conceited. He only cared about himself, and my grades were going to drop because of it. I’d never find information on my parents.
Robb reached over me, dipping a pretzel into the peanut butter. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Crystal swatted his hand. “Rude much,” she said. “Lola would have a fit if she saw you do that.”
Lola was Crystal’s mother, and she wasn’t going to be home all night, despite the fact that Crystal had school tomorrow. We all did.
“Lola doesn’t have to know,” Robb said, chewing with his mouth open. “It’s the best medicine, after all. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“Medicine for Jess,” Crystal’s pierced lip banged against her teeth, and she winced. “We’re here to make Jess feel better,” she mumbled. “Not you.”
Robb chewed on his pretzel and stared with his big, brown eyes. “How’s that science project going for you anyway?”
I moaned, collapsing on Crystal’s bed. “Horribly.”
Crystal sighed. “Reminding her of it is not how you make a girl feel better.”
Robb waved his arms in the air. “How was I supposed to know that?”
“Maybe from all the girls you’ve dated,” she said, raising her black eyebrows. Robb shrugged, returned to his food, and Crystal rubbed her temples. “No wonder none of them worked out.”
“Hey!” Chewed pretzel spewed from Robb’s mouth. “Some of them worked
“So what?”
“So we can’t work on our project right now.” Her blue eyes turned to slits. “The project is homework—meaning we do it out of school.”
Her attitude made me smile. No one talked back to me. I hated to admit I was impressed, but I was.
I laid my chin on my hand, covering up my grin. “I do homework in class.” Or not at all. It wasn’t like I’d get to graduate if I was dead.
Jess blinked, her face reddening. “Well, I do it at home.”
I shrugged. “Then whose problem is this exactly?”
She gripped the table with her tiny hands. “Look, Eric—”
I laughed. “You call me Welborn, remember?”
She groaned and laid her forehead on the black desk. “This is impossible.”
“Welcome to high school,” I said, and she pushed her chair backward, scraping the metal legs against the tile floor. Goose bumps crawled over my skin, and I turned away. “I’m busy outside of school anyway.” With a girl.
I also had a meeting with the elders tonight. I didn’t have time to worry about my human life. I needed to prepare to deal with Luthicer and Eu, two of the fiercest Dark elders. They expected a lot from the first descendant, yet I had nothing to show them.
“Maybe I’m busy too, Welborn,” Jessica said, leaning over to catch my gaze. She was persistent. “Did you ever think of that?”
My lips pulled into an uncontrollable grin. “I can’t take your anger seriously.”
She hit the table and stood up. “Whatever, Welborn,” she said, collecting her bag. “If you stop being a selfish prick, I’ll be with Crystal and Robb.”
This time, I was the one to glare. “So you can ask them more questions about me?” I asked, knowing I was revealing my eavesdropping.
She paled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring her denial. “I’d prefer you ask me about my problems instead of gossiping,” I said. “It isn’t a good look on you.”
She froze, but she didn’t redden. Instead, she raised her brow and leaned down, whispering. “And being an asshole isn’t a good look on anyone.”
Then, she turned and walked away. I watched her sit next to her friends, struck with the peculiar urge to stop her. I’m not an asshole. I wanted to say it, but it was too late. She was gone, and I couldn’t even distract myself with our science lab.
I was already done.
11
Jessica
“Peanut butter and chocolate is the best medicine,” Crystal said, dropping the sticky mess in front of me.
I stared at it, unable to feel hungry. I was too angry. Eric was so conceited. He only cared about himself, and my grades were going to drop because of it. I’d never find information on my parents.
Robb reached over me, dipping a pretzel into the peanut butter. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Crystal swatted his hand. “Rude much,” she said. “Lola would have a fit if she saw you do that.”
Lola was Crystal’s mother, and she wasn’t going to be home all night, despite the fact that Crystal had school tomorrow. We all did.
“Lola doesn’t have to know,” Robb said, chewing with his mouth open. “It’s the best medicine, after all. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“Medicine for Jess,” Crystal’s pierced lip banged against her teeth, and she winced. “We’re here to make Jess feel better,” she mumbled. “Not you.”
Robb chewed on his pretzel and stared with his big, brown eyes. “How’s that science project going for you anyway?”
I moaned, collapsing on Crystal’s bed. “Horribly.”
Crystal sighed. “Reminding her of it is not how you make a girl feel better.”
Robb waved his arms in the air. “How was I supposed to know that?”
“Maybe from all the girls you’ve dated,” she said, raising her black eyebrows. Robb shrugged, returned to his food, and Crystal rubbed her temples. “No wonder none of them worked out.”
“Hey!” Chewed pretzel spewed from Robb’s mouth. “Some of them worked
Similar Books
