Page 15 (1/1)

5

VERLAINE FLATTENED HERSELF AGAINST THE WALL, where she was hidden by the lockers Then she wondered if she looked like an insane person

Well, it wasn’t like people at this school could hate her any more even if she were crazy Everybody knew Mateo Perez was basically a big old ticking time bomb of crazy, but nobody went out of their way to be unkind to him

Maybe she actually was nuts--but there was only one way to find out

Peering out froain see Nadia Caldani, as putting away her books She looked like any other girl in school, getting ready to go ho that stood out was her really great hair Verlaine glanced down at her own pre to challenge Nadia about this? Was she willing to stand up and say she believed soht, and decided to trust her gut

Just as she darted forward into the crush of people in the hallway, Nadia lifted her head and saw her As soon as she did, she turned away froer to escape, but Verlaine quickened her steps to catch up

Then Jere it did whenever she saw hi over and constricting at the sauy; Jeremy’s personality defied any reaction but total contempt But oh, God, that face--those shoulders--

"So you’re the new girl," he said to Nadia, as now glancing back and forth between Verlaine and Jeremy like she was trapped "Need soht to be friends, you know The benefits--we can add those later"

Sensing her opportunity, Verlaine pounced "Sorry, Jeremy Nadia and I are headed out" She folded her arm possessively in Nadia’s, and Nadia was either too surprised to resist or too desperate to get away fro with the freaks already?" Jereed, and dah every inch of the tee he earing "Have it your way"

As he wandered off, Nadia muttered, "Who is that loser?"

"Jere of the hill around here, and he knows it As rich as his faures he can pick up any girl he wants, nohe is" Verlaine hated that she’d said anything nice about hi I just wish--sometimes--it were possible to pour somebody else’s soul inside that body You know?"

"It would have to be an improvement" Then Nadia tensed, and Verlaine knew she was about to try to dodge her again Maybe it would be good to get her off her guard

"How do you like the Piranha?"

"The Piranha--oh, is that what people call Mrs Purdhy? I can kind of see it The thing with the teeth--" Nadia nizable as Mrs Purdhy’s clenched jaw She see but what happened yesterday et about it "Hey, cool dress"

"Oh … thanks Glad you like it," Verlaine said, genuinely surprised Most people in Captive’s Sound didn’t understand vintage style, though of course that h the local thrift stores and secondhand shops without having to co ablack-and-white squares, exactly the kind of thing most people here made fun of Verlaine had told herself she didn’t care about the ridicule anyet it

Obviously Nadia thought the danger was past, because she had begun to relax "The shoes are kind of different, though"

"I stick to Converse" Today’s pair was black "Real period shoes are expensive, and they never turn up in sizes big enough forthe third tallest person at this school to the actual tallest, and yes, I’ everyone on the men’s basketball team" They were out on the quad noay from some of the other students; Verlaine decided it was about time to make her move "So, yesterday, as that?"

Nadia whirled toward her, too caught off guard to hide her shock She tried to recover, though: "What are you talking about?"

"Last night, I narrowed it down to three possibilities" Verlaine counted theers "One, you have so to hide it because you have a secret identity; ue scenario, et cetera Two, this is more supernatural or occult, like witchcraft,shot, but then all of these seeh they’re the only possible explanations So, can’t exclude aliens If you are from another planet, I want to say, welcome to Earth, and if you have a starship or a transporter bea as I can still call my dads once in a while, I’m totally ready to ditch this planet and try it so moment when they stared at each other and Verlaine’s heart thuh "Not here, okay?"

"Okay" Wait Did thatout of the ordinary? The surreal was beco real, at last? Yes It was all Verlaine could do not to jump in the air and cheer