Naomi Grim by Tiffany Nicole Smith Page A

it,
scoring point after point. Even though he was red and sweaty, he was gorgeous.
I kept looking at the other Grims, making sure they weren't watching me watch
Hunter.
    The game was close, with
Kennedy High two points ahead. Something happened and the game stopped. The
referee handed Hunter the ball while the other players stood around. The gym
fell silent. Hunter bounced the ball twice and then aimed at the basket. He
shot the ball and it sailed through the hoop. Cheers erupted throughout the
gym.
    At halftime, the players
left the court. I couldn't help but notice Ashley run up to Hunter, wrapping
her arms around his neck. He gave her a polite pat on her back, but he wasn't
smiling. A bulge of resentment rose inside of me. I tried to push it away, but
it wouldn't leave. That must have been how Keira felt every time a girl flirted
with Bram.
    "Can we leave
now?" Dorian whined.
    "The game's not
over," Bram answered. "I'll be right back," he said before
disappearing into the crowd.
    A whistle blew and the dance
team assembled on the court. A pop song blared from the speakers and they broke
out into a dance routine. The girls looked like they were having the time of
their lives and I wondered what that felt like. I watched Roxy and Paige. They
looked so happy. They were pretty and popular, living the teenage dream. It
must have been an amazing feeling and I wondered how long it would last.
    Keira nudged me with her
knee. She was looking off to the right, and I followed her gaze. I felt a pain
in my chest. The glow. It was spreading. Two basketball players who sat on the
bench drinking Gatorade had the ethereal light around them. A girl coming back
from the concession stand with a bag of chips had the glow. I spotted four
different people on our side of the gym glowing, and another six on the other
side. Keira pointed to the dance team as they finished. A girl with long, brown
hair started to glow. Then a blonde girl, and then Roxy.
    It took me a moment to
realize that I wasn't breathing. I knew what Keira was thinking, "Naomi, I
warned you about getting attached." But it was too late. I liked Roxy the
most out of all the girls. She was the first person to befriend me and had
taken me under her wing.
    Bram returned with a soda.
"It'll be soon."
    I looked at the others. No
one else seemed to be bothered. But why should they be? This was part of the
job. Apparently, I was the only one who took human deaths to heart.
    The rest of the game went by
in a blur. Our team—well, I guess I shouldn’t really say "our
team"—Kennedy High dominated the second half of the game and won 86 to 62.
    We stood to leave as the
celebratory student body noisily filed out of the gym. I wanted to speak to
Hunter so he would know I came. The basketball players were surrounded by kids
giving them high fives and congratulations. While the other Grims went to the
car, I pushed my way through the crowd.
    Hunter wiped his face with a
towel. "Snowflake! You made it."
    "Yeah, you played great
tonight."
    "Thanks," he said.
Then he said something else, but my thoughts were lost in his dimples.
"Hey, will you wait for me while I grab my stuff from the locker room? It
won't take long."
    "Why?"
    "I'll give you a ride
home." Hunter disappeared with the other players before I could tell him
no.
    I went outside to find the
others. They were already sitting in the vehicle waiting for me. I walked to
the driver's side. Bram rolled down the window.
    "Um, I'm going to get a
ride home with some friends."
    Bram shook his head.
"Whatever." He rolled the window back up. I walked away as they
pulled off and I waited next to Hunter's pick-up.
    Roxy and Paige pulled up
beside me in Roxy's car. "Hey, Cas. You have fun?" I felt a shot of
guilt. I was looking at a girl who was about to die and she had no idea.
    "Yeah."
    "What are you waiting
for?" Paige asked as if she didn't already know.
    "Hunter's giving me a
ride home."
    Paige found that hilarious.
"Have fun, Cas. I hear