Silverlighters (14 page)

I left her standing there, her mouth gaping open.

A sudden fear had risen in me. I didn’t care how irrational it was.

If I was right, if they did come from the future, there had to be a reason they were in Berrywood.

I worried that something else was going to happen. Something big.

I didn’t care if they were there to watch it or fix it or change it. But I had to find out what it was.

I should have realized the answers wouldn’t be that easy. But I was completely blinded by my need to know.

As I got closer, I realized Jonathon was talking to someone. I could only see the side of his face, but it was intent.

I moved closer to the lockers, ducking my head a little, hoping he didn’t notice me. That I would hear what he was saying that was so important.

All the rules had gone out the window as far as I was concerned.

Then I saw who it was. And I was seriously pissed. He dodged around spending time alone with me, and there he was, getting all cozy with Madison.

Madison was giggling. She actually fluttered her lashes at him.

When she glanced up and saw me, she leaned in even closer to Jonathon, like she had something to prove.

Their body language spoke louder than words as Jonathon’s mouth practically brushed against her ear, his voice low and urgent. Like he was trying to convince her of something.

My fists curled at my sides. I was such an idiot.

“You want
me
to...” Madison met my eye as she leaned closer to Jonathon, speaking too softly for me to hear.

“Yes–”
 
Jonathon gritted his teeth, his frustration obvious.

“Of course I will,” Madison said loudly, brightly. “And it would certainly – take the pressure off.” Her lip curled seductively as she continued. “It’s the best–” she ran a finger down his chest, “proposition I’ve had in ages.”

“Really?” Jonathon looked pleased. “You’ll do it?

“I’d do anything for you, Jonathon. You know that.”

Jonathon’s face flushed red as I backed away.

“Besides,” Madison met my eye again, “it’s not like we can ever expect
them
to understand us.”

So many thoughts went through my mind at that moment: that I’d been kidding myself that Jonathon could possibly be interested in me. That it had all been an act, that he was just pacifying me. Controlling me until the big event they’d come for happened. That he was no better than the rest of
them.

I avoided him for most of the day, and when he did manage to catch my eye in fourth period, I saw the hurt and confusion on his face. But I didn’t care.

At break, I dumped my stuff in my locker, and tried to get away before Beck came. I couldn’t face the cafeteria.

I wasn’t fast enough.

“Ellie,” Beck called as I hurried past the lockers.

Her footsteps grew closer together as she tried to catch me, and I paused, torn.

“Are you avoiding me?”

I took a deep breath and turned. “No. I just – have a
chem
thing I have to work on.”

“What? Now?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh,” she chewed on her lip. “Can’t it wait?”

“Not really. You know what Mr. Jones is like.”

“Yeah. I had him last year.” Beck’s face went pale. “No, no, no,” her thick, brown hair rippled as she moved her head from side to side, “you
can’t
leave me alone with them.”

 
“But – I thought you liked Morgan.”

“I do. But I never know what to say. Besides, I think he likes Melissa.”

“But – Melissa already has a boyfriend.”

“Had.”

“Oh. Well – she wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Wouldn’t she?”

She had a point. Melissa was all over the place. Most days she didn’t seem to care who she hurt. And I’d noticed the way she’d been looking at Morgan. The two of them had a lot more to say to each other than Beck and Morgan. Beck got totally tongue tied whenever he spoke to her. But I hadn’t seen Morgan show that sort of interest in anyone.

“Why are you so nervous with him, anyway?” I asked. I was genuinely curious. Beck was gorgeous, not just on the inside, but outside too.

“I – I don’t know. He just – he’s so damn serious all the time. I guess I don’t want him to think–” she broke off.

“What?”

“Never mind. Please. Say you’ll come.”

I rolled my eyes. “All right. I’ll come.”

I had to face Jonathon eventually.

17

As soon as I walked into the cafeteria Madison waved, her loud voice carrying clearly across the noisy crowd. “Hi, Ellie.”

Jonathon actually had the nerve to smile across the room at her like she was doing me a kindness.

“You know,” Beck said lightly when she saw me glaring at Jonathon. “She probably has a third nipple.”

I turned to Beck. “A what?”

“Or an extra toe. I mean – nobody can be that perfect, right? There has to be some kind of balance.”

I felt a smile tug at my mouth. I knew Beck was trying to make me feel better.

Somehow – on the short walk to the cafeteria – she had not only figured out that I was pissed with Jonathon, but had managed to pry the story out of me.

Beck grabbed my arm before we reached the table. “Ellie – I don’t know what you saw. But I do know one thing. Jonathon is madly in lust with you. He wouldn’t risk ruining it.”

I didn’t answer. Beck didn’t know all of it. She didn’t have the same suspicions I had.

“Want me to give her the glare of death?” Beck bumped my shoulder. “I do an awesome death glare.”

Then she saw my face. “Looks like you’ve already got that covered.”

I shook my head to clear it, and looked away – I didn’t want Madison to know how much it was getting to me.

Jonathon’s face fell as I sat on the opposite side of the table, next to Melissa.

He could figure it out for himself as far as I was concerned. There was no point making it easy for him.

“I heard you and Mick broke up,” I said to Melissa.

“Word sure gets around fast,” Melissa said. “What’s with you and Jonathon? You break up, too?”

“You have to actually be together to be able to break up,” I said hotly.

“Ooh. Sorry. I obviously hit a nerve,” Melissa said breezily, then she saw the look on my face. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I’ve been such a bitch lately. I just – just can’t seem to help myself.”

“It’s fine,” I said stiffly.

“Ellie?” Jonathon’s voice was soft, hesitant.

“What?” I snapped.

He jammed his hand in his pocket, glancing quickly in Madison’s direction. “Did I do something?”

“I don’t know. Did you?” When I turned Madison smiled at me; a horrid, smug little smile that made my blood boil.

I faced Jonathon, giving him a pointed look. But it was completely wasted on him. He was still looking at Madison.

He gave her a slight nod, a smile pulling at his lips. The one that brought that adorable little dimple out in the middle of his cheek.

I felt it tug at my heart. I thought he only smiled at me that way.

That was when Madison started shouting.

Morgan swung around in his seat, his hand still sliding out of his bag as he came to his feet.

“I want to go back,” Madison screamed, pulling at her hair. Her face was wild. “I don’t want to be here anymore. I just want to go–”

Lanita moved quickly, her dark, shiny hair rippling as she clamped a hand to Madison’s face.

Madison shoved her elbow in Lanita’s stomach and broke away, her voice shrill. “Do you hear me, Morgan? Send me back. Send me back. Send me back.”

Morgan’s bag crashed to the floor as he shot across the room.
 
His speed was incredible, but I knew he could go much faster.

Somehow he managed to constrain himself so that no one would notice, his firm voice booming through the room, the warning clear as he said her name.

But Madison was completely hysterical by then. It was like something inside her had snapped. Her eyes were wide and wild looking, and her blonde hair hung in her face as she charged at Morgan, still shouting.

As crazy as it might seem – it only further compounded my suspicions.

She wanted to go back – to her own time.

They really were from the future. It was the only thing that fit.

I heard a chair scrape behind me, then Jonathon’s fierce voice, laced with panic.

“Leave it.”

I spun around in time to see Beck leaning down to pick up Morgan’s bag.

Jonathon was on his feet, his hand catching in his pocket as he tried to pull it out quickly.

Beck held up her hands as she sat back in her seat, raising her eyebrows at me.

I shrugged, and watched as Jonathon scooped something into Morgan’s bag as he picked it up.

It made me wonder what was in there to make him react like that.

Jonathon pulled the bag onto his lap as he sat down, one hand rummaging through it, his eyes on Madison and the others.

“What are you doing?” I asked, unnerved by the intent look on his face.

 
Jonathon looked up and smiled at me.

“Ugh,” I groaned, frustrated by how clueless he was.

They
were walking through the cafeteria. Madison looked much calmer and very pleased with herself. The rest of them stared resolutely ahead.

They passed close to our table, pausing as Morgan broke away to grab his bag, and then the group continued, Madison still staring back at us.

“Come on,” Jonathon said. “Let’s get out of here.”

“What – now you want to be alone?” I couldn’t believe his nerve.

Jonathon nodded at Madison, and smiled that smile again.

“You know what,” I snapped, already on my feet. “I’m done. You and Madison can play your little games without me.”

“What are you talking about?” Jonathon looked genuinely confused.

“She saw you – with Madison,” Beck said softly.

Understanding dawned on his face. “Wait – Ellie – I can explain.”

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. I spun on my heel, ready to make a quick escape, my face hot and tight.

Jonathon’s arm shot out, stopping me. “Ellie, just – just trust me. Please.” He jerked his head at the door.

“Trust goes both ways,” I said.

“I know.” Jonathon’s voice was soft and husky.

He let go of my arm, and ran his hand through his hair as he met my eye. “Please, Ellie?”

I felt my resolve weaken. I didn’t want to notice the way his touch made me feel, but it was hard to ignore the tingling warmth where he’d grabbed me.

Jonathon’s jaw was tight with frustration, but it was the look in his eyes that made me agree to go with him.

It was the first time I had ever seen him look vulnerable.

“I wish I could tell you everything,” Jonathon said, his voice low and urgent as we hurried across the school grounds. “But I can’t. They’ll make me go back.”

“What – to the future?”

At least this time he did me the courtesy of not denying it. He couldn’t even meet my eye.

“I knew it,” I said.

His eyes were haunted as we ducked behind a thick hedge with vivid green leaves that were speckled with yellow.

“You have to believe me,” he took my hands in his, “there’s nothing going on with me and Madison. I just needed her to provide a distraction.”

The heat of his hands burned through me as I processed what he said.

His eyes were so big and round and earnest, pleading with me to believe him.

That was the moment when I realized how much I liked him – how much I wanted it to be true.

 
“A distraction?” I spoke my thoughts out loud, trying not to get lost in the beauty of his eyes.

“You were going through Morgan’s bag,” I said.

“Maybe I just wanted to be alone with you,” Jonathon said, too quickly.

I shook my head – I wasn’t going to be distracted as easily as Morgan.

Nothing was ever simple with Jonathon. There had to be more to it.

I replayed the scene in the cafeteria through my mind again. The way Jonathon kept looking at Madison, his hand hovering near his pocket. The panicked tone of his voice when Beck tried to pick up Morgan’s bag. The way his hand got stuck in his pocket before he scooped something into Morgan’s bag...

“You took something out – or put something in it,” I said.

Jonathon didn’t answer, just looked down at me through his thick lashes.

I felt my resolve weakening. But I wasn’t ready to let it go – I wanted answers.

“What was it?” I pressed.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

He shook his head, and let go of my hands. “I can’t.”

“Why are you here?”

“You’re asking all the wrong questions,” Jonathon said, his eyes burning with frustration.

“What are you talking about?” I snapped. “That makes no sense.”

He shrugged, and looked down at the ground, his hair falling over his eyes.

My mind was racing. I finally had him all to myself, and I had no idea how to be with him.

The silence stretched between us. I was so conflicted. There was so much he wasn’t telling me, and my growing feelings for him were clouding my judgment.

The truth was it hurt a lot more than I wanted to admit when I saw him being so friendly with Madison.

It made me feel insecure – how could I ever compare to someone like her?

Sure – she was a complete bitch, but she was just so glamorous – they all were.

And she was right – she understood him, they had a history – whether it was romantic or not was kind of beside the point. She knew him in ways I could never know him.

I suddenly felt like such an idiot. It was so obvious Madison had been messing with my head, and I had fallen for it. She knew I was standing there, watching them.

She’d been playing with me since the very first day I walked through the school gates.

Realization hit me. “You know who I am?” I gasped.

Jonathon’s head was still bowed as he lifted his eyes to meet mine.

There were so many conflicting emotions on his face it made me wary.

Maybe I should have seen it sooner. But I didn’t. My father had been so careful it never crossed my mind that they could know who I was. That they were there because of me. Why would it?

And I was still getting my head around the idea they were from the future.

I really had been asking all the wrong questions. But I had no idea what the right ones were.

Fear flooded me as Scar’s face flashed through my head. The anger in his eyes as he raised his gun.

“How did you find us?” I backed away, the urge to flee rising quickly. “Or should I just add it to the list of things you won’t tell me?”

“That’s not important,” Jonathon said softly as he took a step closer to me.

I stepped back. “Not important? You don’t understand. They’ve already tried to kill my father. They probably killed my mother.”

“It’s not your father they’re interested in.”

His words stopped me cold. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s you, Ellie. It’s always been you.”

“What,” I gasped, horrified. “What did I do? What
do
I do?”

“I can’t answer that.”

“They want to kill me? For something I haven’t even done yet?”

I tried to take it all in. To make sense of what I was hearing. “Well – just tell me what it is. I won’t do it.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“Then tell me how it works? Tell me what they want.”

He searched my face. There were so many different emotions in his eyes I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Fear, worry, indecision. Regret.

Finally, he answered me.