The chaos in the hallway is enough to make my ears flinch. A couple of students are huddled together in their illusion of whispering. I mean, is it still whispering if I can basically hear the righteous indignation heating up from a couple of feets away .
Wolves no doubt, because their words hit me with all the fury of a scorned lot. As usual, it is about Jordan Files. Since getting signed by Bloodstone two days ago, he has being on the lips of every one in the school. While the Vampires were somewhat less tensed and congratulatory, the wolves were fuming. And doing nothing to hide it.
Their words drift while I walk slowly, trying so hard to look unruffled and unbothered even if my chest was hammering with the fearful certainly that often accompanies my colorless, death centered visions.
"This is pure betrayal" One shot up, adding his hands to encompasses the bottomless dept of betrayal that this was "He shouldn't have signed that deal".
"The egoistic bastard " Another sneered "All the elders demanded was an ordinary apology and a retraction of the rejection. But what does this motherfucker do instead " His voice rises a pitch "He crawls into the vampire camp remorselessly ".
"Well what do you expect from a boy whose mother killed her mate" Surprisingly this was from a girl and surprisingly my steps slackened.
Mother killed her mate. My ears prickle. I have never being one for gossip but this gossip sounds juicy enough to hijack my attention. Gosh I wish I had a certain degree in stealthy eavesdropping.
A thousand shushing sounds occur and everyone turns at the girl with venom .
Plenty voices shoot up at once.
"Faridah, your big mouth will get you killed one day."
"Shut up, gurlllllllllllll. Moira was proven not guilty."
"Faridah, bet your dad is still mad for Moira's very famous rejection of him. Is that why he's cooking shit?"
"Shut it Faridah, everyone knows the length and breath of your wide mouth. "
"If the cops overheard you now, what would you say."
"Guess the Reid Pack can't take a spurn in peace and quiet "
"By the time you finish trailing with all the fastness of a snail, meet us in the Lab" A loud voice shoots me back to my senses. I realize that I am in in front of my classroom and everyone is hurrying out. Tensed.
I grab Scott before he waltz off "What's happening in the Lab?"
"Duh " His hiss is grating but not wicked "Don't tell me you didn't check the group chat. Templeman's emergency test. "
"Thought that was scheduled for Thursday " I whined. How could I have got the vivacity for social media this morning when I had woken up with a splintering headache and a very blurry cryptic vision of death.
"It was. " Scott groans "Until now". He shakes himself free from my grasp and continues the hasty strides.
Shit. Fuck Templeman and his stupid Trigonometry.
A hand grabs mine harshly. Almost like a slash. I find myself staring into the beautiful face of Minata Straus.
"Nice to see you, Night" Her innocence is enough to make me puke.
"Nice to be alive" I lean in conspiratorially to whisper in her ears. Since the Wolfskull incident, Minata and I hadn't had a one on one confrontation. She would see me in class and turn her face elsewhere after glaring for the first few seconds.
I am planning to thoroughly enjoy this moment.
"Wolfsbane" Her breath catches in a surprised mutter while her eyes stay glued to the necklace on my neck. The one Moira Files had given me. The one I had since then kept glued to my neck like a second skin.
"No longer a little human wannabe, am I?" My voice coos in her ears.
"You will regret this " She flares , her face hardening into solid granite "I will die before I let you have him."
"Quite pretty but rather empty headed, aren't you " I roll my eyes .
"And trust me, this insult won't go unnoticed " Her eyes flicker, colder than steel.
"You can do away with the flimsy threats" I snap, smiling with a warmth I didn't really feel .
"I promise you , Carter " Her voice drops two pitches into a very low whisper "I will make your life miserable"
I caress the Wolfsbane lovingly with a laugh. My voice matches hers in its low intensity when I say "Bring it on, Straus".
The heat in her face is enough to keep six people warm in winter. Then her features soften and she walks away defiantly.
Pheww. Fuck. I didn't really want HER man. For God's sake, I just wanted to stay safe. And unattacked. And alive. I want to yell after her to tell HER man to lay off me but my throat swallows up the grovelly words.
After such a show of bravado, why would I flip the script by begging her to tell Jordan to lay off me. Jordan. The trendy hot topic who also had the trademark flaw of doing whatever he so pleases. Ya right. I imagine him smirking at Minata if she could even gather the balls for such a request. Typical.
"Minata looked really pissed." A voice commented from the doorway. I find Ginger perched there , a couple of books straddled in her arms.
"Templeman's emergency test has got everyone pissed " I say quietly.
"I know, right " Ginger has a sympathetic look in her face "Just a thirty minutes prior notice. Fuck. What would anyone grasp in thirty minutes. "
"Angles are definitely not my thing " I laugh mirthlessly while we walk on to the lab.
"Me neither, shit there's Jordan" Ginger grabs my arm with the same starstruck fanatic gaze I have seen on the eyes of a hundred girls since his magical comeback to the spotlight with the release of Milk Shake.
"I can see that." I say dryly.
Yes, Jordan Files is walking ahead of us in that irking majestic, nonchalant strides. If we are all rattled by Templeman's test, he looks characteristically unbothered.
And why on Earth does he have to look so criminally good. His shirt fits snuggly it's almost like he's showing off . For fucks sake even even the blind can see how hot he is . And those pants. I don't even wanna look at him , blissfully obvious to the tension he was causing in my chest.
"He looks amazing" Ginger comments, tightening her grip on my arm.
"As usual" I snort.
"I wonder if he's even read anything" Her voice trails into worry "I hope he sits closeby so I can maybe supply a few answers if he's stuck somewhere".
"Thought thirty minutes wasn't enough for you to grab anything " My eyes wander accusatorily over her.
"Well it's Jordan" She giggles "Like, the Jordan Files. Of Bloodstone. "
I am about to give a typical retort when something flashes in my eyes. Somebody sprawled on the floor, bleeding profusely. A masked assailant carrying a huge stone slab to finish off the blow. The sprawled one painfully crawling but going nowhere because the large marble lands on his head with the precision of a hunter. I gasp as the piercing death cry deafens my ears.
The vision clears just as suddenly as it had flashed. My steps halts, I grab the nearby wall to steady my wobbly legs. I can hear Ginger's panic while my body floats closer to the wall even if my mind is already six inches away.
That face was crystal clear. The person bleeding on the floor. Fuck.
Jordan Files.