Tears of the Broken (57 page)

“
Who’s Vicki?”

Oops. “Um, she’s my step-mum.” I tensed, hoping she wouldn’t
ask about my real mum.

“
Oh,
okay. I didn’t know your dad was remarried. So, you don’t like her?
I mean, ‘cause you call her Vicki?”

“
Yeah, um—old habit, I guess.” I shrugged and turned to
Spencer, trying to redirect the spotlight. “So, Spence, you gonna
save me a dance at the ball?”

Spencer’s cheeks turned bright pink. “Ah, yeah. If that’s
okay with Emily.”

“
Of
course it is. As long as Ara doesn’t mind if I dance with
David.”

Hm,
I bet you’ll just love that. “Nope. Cool with me.” But also not
really.

“
You
three!” Dad barked from the front of the class.

Everyone turned and looked at us. I shrank to about the size
of a quarter, and my cheeks burned. Conversation. Over.

When
the bell rang at the end of class, everyone broke formation and
dispersed quickly. “Ara, come up and see me before you leave,
please,” Dad said, not looking at me.

Yikes. That sounded like an order.

“
Sorry, Ara.” Emily’s shoulders lifted a little.

“
Em,
don’t worry about it—he’s my dad. What’s the worst he can do?
Ground me?” Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I stepped up in front
of Dad’s desk. “Sorry for talking in class, Mr. Thompson. It won’t
happen again.”

“
Ara.” He exhaled, leaning back in his chair. “I appreciate
that you’ve had a hard time adjusting to a new school, and don’t
get me wrong, I’m very happy you’ve made new friends. But, there’s
a time for work and a time for play. I don’t want to catch you
gossiping in class again or I will move you to Mr. Adams’ class. Do
I make myself clear?”

David’s in Mr. Adams’ class. I would
love
it if he moved me. I forced
back the grin. “Sorry, Dad. It won’t happen again.” Or maybe it
will—just a bit.

“
Okay. Now, how’s that mythology paper coming along?” Dad
nodded and smiled at the other students as they started pouring in
behind me.

“
Uh.
Great. I’m doing mine on vampires.” I just decided.

Dad
raised one brow. “Is that inspired by last week’s intriguing
lecture—on Lilith?”

“
Actually, it is.” And the fact that my boyfriend just happens
to know that history firsthand. “But, if I determine that I believe
the truth behind the myth…are you and Vicki gonna have me admitted
into psyche care?” I was only half joking, but Dad laughed
aloud.

“
Aw, honey. We’d never do that. Even if you
decide
I’m
a
vampire and try to stake me through the heart.” His face softened
away from his grin as he shook his head. “I love you, okay? I know
we’ve been a little watchful of you lately, but it’s because we
care about you. Vicki does, too.” He spoke softer then, “She wants
to be close to you. You should let her try.”

“
I
know, Dad,” I answered his statement about the fact that he loves
me. As for Vicki? “I’ll try—with Vicki. It’s just hard, you know.
She’s—she’s the only mother I have left. I’m just afraid to let her
in, that’s all.”

Dad’s face melted, and he stood up. Then, even with his next
class filling the room behind us, he still walked all the way
around his desk and wrapped his arms around me—really tightly. I
patted his back, grimacing at the thought of everyone watching.
“Um, Dad. Sorta need to breathe here.”

Dad
pulled back and held me at arms-length. “I love ya, honey. Now, get
to class, you’re late.” He grinned, making the lines around his
eyes crinkle tightly. I waved and threaded my arm through my
backpack, making haste for the exit sign—with thirty pairs of eyes
burning into my spine.

I
stepped out of the toilet cubicle just as two familiar voices
giggled their way into the quiet privacy of the
bathroom.

“
Oh,
hey, new girl.” The dark-haired gossip queen I encountered in here
on my first day bumped her hip with mine.

“
Hello Gypsy,” I replied as I turned on the taps. “Did you
guys come in here to talk about somebody else today, or am I on the
hotlist?”

Summer, the blonde, waited until I faced the mirror before
she rolled her eyes at me. How dumb can you be? Get a
brain.

“
Actually, you are on the hotlist.” Gypsy
leaned on the counter beside me, folding her arms. “Rumour has it
you and
David Knight
are going out.”

“
Rumour would be correct—this time.” I folded my arms, too,
and leaned beside her.

Summer dipped her hip on one side, resting her hands on her
waist. “You know there’s only one reason that boy dates girls—and
it’s not love.”

I
shrugged. “He loves me.”

“
Yeah, right.” Summer’s eyes flicked to Gypsy. “He says that
to every girl.”

“
I’m
sure he does.” I dropped my arms to my sides and stood up. “But, I
bet he’s never said it you.”

Her
head bopped from side-to-side in the hollow of her shoulders. “What
if he has?”

“
Nah, I doubt that.” I shook my head, gazing down my nose at
her as I passed. “You’re a little out of his league—he only likes
us ugly girls.”

Her
mouth fell open and a high-pitched huff came out. “You
bitch.”

“
Uh,
Summer. I think that was a compliment—” Gypsy said, looking a
little confused, “I think she just said you’re pretty.”

“
Have a nice lunch,” I called over my shoulder as I stepped
out of the stinky toilet block—leaving them and their gossip where
it belongs.

“
Ara?”

The
white glare of the open corridor framed the silhouette of a boy.
“David? I thought we were meeting in the auditorium for
lunch.”

He
unhitched himself from the railing. “We are, but I…”

“
You?”

“
You
were late, so I went looking for you—then I saw Summer and Gypsy,
and…”

“
Aw.” I slid my hands inside his denim jacket and snuggled
against his chest. “You were worried about me.”

“
I’m
sorry.” He kissed the crown of my head. “I know I shouldn’t be. I
know you can take care of yourself, but I…I just didn’t want them
to make you cry again.”

“
Aw,
you love me.” Pressing my face even closer to his lovely chest, I
smiled like a little kid and drew a deep breath of his vibrant,
heart-tingling scent—all sugary and mouth-watering.

“
Mr.
Knight!” a booming voice shocked my thoughts from inappropriate
paths. “Not on school grounds.”

“
Certainly, Mr. Rogers. Won’t happen again.” David held me out
from his chest. I kept my face down until Mr. Rogers passed. How
embarrassing.

“
Didn’t you see him coming?”

David smiled down at me. “Yes, but what was I supposed to do?
Getting sprung showing affection on school campus is not a good
enough reason to step away when you’ve got your arms around
me.”

“
Maybe not for you, but he might tell my dad.”

“
He
won’t.” David started walking—without touching me. “He was a boy
once, himself. He understands.”

“
So
does my dad—except when it comes to me.”

“
Okay, we won’t touch at school, then. Will that make you
happy?”

“
No.
Just keep watch, next time. What good is a vampire boyfriend if he
can’t use his powers to keep you outta trouble?”

“
Oh,
I don’t know, I must be good for something.” He grinned widely,
opening the auditorium door for me.

“
Well, you’re a good kisser, but that’s the human in you—not
the vampire.”

“
That’s because the vampire me hasn’t kissed you,
yet.”

“
Ooh.” I pretended to feel a shiver down my spine. “Well,
maybe you should let him out for a while, then.”

David leaned closer as we passed a group of students. “Meet
me under the stage, and I’ll show him to you.”

“
Don’t tempt me.”

The
second toll of the lunch bell rang loudly as David went to speak,
so he swallowed his breath and closed his mouth.

“
Hey
guys.” Ryan waved.

I
stashed my schoolbag next to the group of desks and settled into a
chair between David and Emily. “Hi. How’s rehearsal going?” I
said.

“
Eh—” Ryan shrugged. “Haven’t started. We’ve mostly been
making paper aeroplanes and seeing who can hit the lighting
rig.”

“
Sounds productive.” I looked at Emily, who rolled her eyes
and leaned on her hand.

“
This might be a little cold,” David said, sliding a tray of
food in front of me, then flashed a wildly mischievous grin. “I
made it to the canteen line first.”

“
Well,” I poked the mildly warm nachos with my finger, “you do
run really fast.”

“
So,
Ara, did you get totally busted by your dad for talking in class?”
Alana asked.

“
Uh,
not really. Why do you ask?”

“
I
was in his next class—saw him talking sternly with you,” she said.
“Em said it was ‘cause you were all gossiping in class.”

My
brows rose. Wow, that’s the most I’ve ever heard that girl say.
Ryan must be bringing her out of her shell. “Um—no, he just wanted
to find out how my mythology paper was coming along.” I shrugged
and started eating.

“
I’m
doing mine on fairies,” Alana said in a dreamy tone. “I love
fairies.”

“
Yeah, I’m doing mine on trolls,” Ryan added. “What about you,
Dave?”

David looked up from thumbing his phone, and the words he was
holding back washed across his face; he hates being called Dave,
but he’ll never say it. I smiled sympathetically at him.

“
I’m
uh—I’m actually in Mr. Adams’ class. We’re doing a different topic
this semester,” he said.

“
Yeah, me too,” another kid, sitting down the end of our
little rectangle of friends, added.

While the others continued the conversation, my mind wandered
as I watched David focus intently on his phone. What is he
doing?

He
grinned without looking up, then inched his body closer so our
shoulders touched and his screen sat between us. “I’m
tweeting.”

“
Really?” I whispered, reading the
text:
All is well in the world now
she
has
arrived
.
“I
didn’t know your kind used social media.”

He
laughed once and slipped the phone into his pocket. “How
narrow-minded of you.”

It
amazes me how much more human he is around everyone from school,
and how, now I know what he is, I can see right through his
poorly-executed human disguise. His movements are so deliberate;
blinking carefully, closing his eyelids a little too slowly, and he
shifts on a counted beat.

One,
two, three—I made it ten and he crossed his ankle over his
knee.

One,
two, three—yup, ten again and he uncrosses it.

He
turned his head and smiled, branching us away from the group
conversation again. “Problem?”

I
shrugged.

“
Would you prefer an odd count?” His smile gleamed.

I
nodded, and counted in my head. One, two, three; he ran his hand
through his hair.

One,
two; he picked up his cup. Much better.

“
What about you, Ara?” I looked up like I’d been sprung
talking in class. “What’re you doing yours on?”

“
My
what?”

“
Honestly, Ara.” Emily shook her head. “Do
you
ever
pay
attention?” I stared blankly at her; she smiled and said, “Your
mythology paper. What are you doing yours on?”

“
Oh,
um…vampires.”

David coughed out beside me and shot up out of his chair,
dusting cola off his jeans after his flimsy paper cup exploded in
his hand. “Damn it!”

“
You
all right, man?” Ryan frowned.

“
Uh—” He stood up straight, holding the now oddly-shaped cup
out from his body, glancing over the wide stares of all the other
kids at our table. “Yeah, I swallowed the wrong way.”

Emily’s cheek tightened on one side, and the others, not
thinking anything of David’s strange reaction, went back to their
food and conversation.

“
David?” I whispered, mostly talking with my eyes. “What’s
wrong?”

“
Can
we talk?” he asked, his eyes widening for a second.

“
Sure.” I stood up. “Where?”

He
jerked his head in the direction of the stage.

“
We’ll be back.” David looked at Emily.

“
Okay, don’t be too long,” she said, “I’m gonna kick
everyone’s butts soon and get this rehearsal into
swing.”