“I’ve got gym. That’s lucky. It’s on the way. You can tell me what this is about.”
My eyes bugged when he flashed the note. “What are you doing with that?!” I snatched it from him, ran to the nearest trash can, and threw it in.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking at me like I had the problem. “It’s just a drawing of a cherry.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. I spun around to stop him noticing. “I don’t like cherries,” I said simply. “Royal knows that. He was making fun of me.”
“Making fun of you?” Brandon jogged to keep pace as I set off again. “You know him? How? You’re not from the OB.”
“What was it you called them?” I asked, ignoring his questions. “The Angels? Why? Is that what they call themselves?”
“Uhh.” Brandon glanced around. “That’s a conversation for later. Lunch. We’ll talk then.”
“But—”
It was his turn to run off.
My morning classes were much less eventful. One of the white-haired twins was in my physics class and he took his seat at the back without staring at me this time. I sat in the last row too. The incident with Royal only proved it was best to not have rivals behind me. The other three weren’t in the class, so it must have been okay to sit next to him. He certainly didn’t pay me any mind when I did.
I peeked at him during Mrs. Jackson’s lecture. He had tattoos. A lot of them. From where they were placed on Royal, those bandages were covering the parts where his tattoos were visible. It must have been the same for this guy, the replica, and the angry pretty boy. When I first met Royal, I was intrigued by the sixteen-year-old with the unique name who racked up so many elaborate tattoos. And here there were three more of them.
Are they Royal’s friends? Do they know about me? Did they get together after class and laugh about cherries?
It was hard to tell. They acted like freaks in class but was that about the chair, who I was, Royal, or all three?
The boy almost caught me looking at him once, but I flicked to my textbook.
Classes ended with two chapters and a practice test assigned for homework.
My next class was English literature. I walked into the unwelcome sight of Brynn, Destiny, and Leo. As well as the replica and Angry Boy. I was only certain it was the replica because his backpack was a different color.
Leo wolf-whistled. “Damn. Looking good in that skirt, mami.” Leo swiped some random kid’s books off the desk.
“What the fuck?!”
He smirked, zeroed in on me. “Bend over and pick them up for me.”
I calmly stepped over the boy’s books and advanced on Leo. If glares were lethal, Brynn would have me dead on the floor.
“Leo, honey,” I said, voice as sweet as my favorite treat. I grasped his chin between my fingers. Leo’s grin faded under a flash of surprise. “I wouldn’t bend down in front of you if I dropped a thousand dollars.” I ignored Brynn hissing and spitting next to us. “You’re a disgusting pig.”
Leo winked. “Didn’t stop you taking a ride.”
“What?” Brynn screeched.
“Never happened.” I flashed out and threw his shit to the floor. “Pig.”
Leo laughed me all the way to my seat between Angry Boy and the replica. They both gave me looks, but neither one spoke to me.
The end of morning classes saw me the first one out the door. I promised Eli I wouldn’t stalk him, so I refrained from texting. It didn’t stop me from worrying about him all morning. The kids were starting in on me day one. I’d lose my shit if they’d been messing with him too.
The academy’s dining hall was a different place when it was full of people. As in it was loud, crowded, and reeking of pasta sauce. I searched for my brother through the chaos, taking a few bumps to the shoulder I didn’t believe were accidents.
“Hey, Ember.”
Brandon waved to me from the stairs to the senior’s loft. “Over here.”
I shook my head. I had just spotted Eli. I pointed at him to give Brandon the message.
Eli glanced up as I approached the table. It was packed with tiny wide-eyed, skittish creatures known as freshmen. Regardless of his grumblings that morning, he moved over on the bench so I could sit.
“See? I’m in one piece,” he signed.
“How did it go today?”
“Fine. See that guy over there?” Eli motioned with the jerk of his head.
“Wow.”
A short-haired man in a gray polo and jeans stood near the staircase talking on his phone.
“The guy’s the size of a truck,” I replied.
“He’s my interpreter. Can’t be sure but I’m guessing he’s changing minds about giving me crap.”
“I bet he is.”
“And you? Are you okay?”
I tried on a smile. “I’m always okay. You know nothing can get to your big sis.”
Eli’s face fell.
“Really. I’m fine.”
The frown deepened. My brother read me as well as I read him.
“Ember?”
For the first time, I was glad of Brandon’s interruption. He hovered over the table, holding his tray. “They didn’t tell you that seniors eat upstairs,” he said. “Get your food and we’ll go up. I saved you a seat.”
“I did know, but I’m sitting with my brother. This is Eli.”
Eli waved.
“Hey, little shorty. I’m stealing your sister.” Brandon grabbed my arm and pulled me up.
“Okay.” Eli waved again, this time to send me off.
“Not okay,” I gritted out. I got free of his grip. “I don’t want you to eat by yourself.”
“I’m not by myself. This is my roommate, Tatum.”
A boy beside him beamed at me indicating he’d been waiting for his introduction. He was even shorter than Eli and sported cute round-framed glasses.
“Hi, Ember,” he said, and shockingly, signed.
“You know sign language?”
He bobbed his head. “My dad taught me. My grandparents are Deaf.”
A roommate who knew sign language and an interpreter who could flip me on my ass with one finger. Damn if this wasn’t another point in Headmistress Hart’s favor.
“Um, okay, then. Are you sure you’re fine?” I asked Eli.
“Yes,” he replied. “I love you. Go away.”
Brandon took my hand again and I let him.
He stood next to me in line as I loaded up my plate with mashed potatoes, country-fried chicken, and broccoli.
“Your brother is Deaf?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
He hummed. “Cool. Gives me a reason to learn sign language.”
“Kind of presumptuous.” I put a bottle of apple juice and a fork on my tray.
“What is?”
I flashed him a wry look. “To think you’ll be hanging with us enough that you’d need the reason.”
Brandon clutched his chest, almost dropping his tray. “Ouch, Bancroft. Girl, you vicious.”
A giggle escaped me.
Stop it, Ember. You don’t know this guy. Be careful.
That wiped the smile from my face.
“Come on,” he said.