Rewritten

Chapter 16: Lies and Half-Truths

Scrambler (n.) A person with the ability to mentally manipulate technology.

Detention was... tense, to say the least.

I sat in the seat beside Connor, neither of us speaking to one another. There were no other students in the room - it was just us and the teacher. I could almost feel the anger and frustration he was feeling - it came from him in waves.

When Miss Bordeaux's phone rang, causing her to have to leave the room, the relief on her face was obvious. Knowing I had to fix things, I turned to Connor.

"Conn -"

"Fee -"

Both of us laughed awkwardly. "You first," he said, gesturing at me.

I frowned at first, not knowing what to say. When I finally did speak, it was not what Connor expected. "My dad."

"What?"

I shrugged, giving him a story that that was mostly truth, but also part lie. It pained me to have to do it, but if it kept me safe I really had no choice. "My dad had me trained in fighting skills and how to use a gun. I never wanted to be a part of the hunters, though, so I never told you. Christie kept trying to recruit me, and if she had known -"

"She would have never left you alone." Connor nodded, understanding. "You could have at least told me that, Fee. This whole morning I've been panicked that you were a rewrite. If Christie ever thought that you were one..." For a moment,  fear clouded his features. "Just tell me in future, okay?"

I nodded, and he pulled me into a hug. I buried my face in his shoulder, inhaling the scent that was uniquely Connor,  even as self-loathing threatened to make me scream with frustration at the whole situation. In a different reality, maybe Connor wouldn't have been a hunter, I wouldn't be a rewrite, and my life would have been carefree. Yet even as I leaned into him, the future loomed ominously over everything: the clock ticked steadily, a reminder that my time to save Art was limited, and not only that. How long was Marcus willing to wait for me to get that file?

"Okay." I pulled back slightly, gazing into his eyes. Eyes that were filled with trust. "What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

He shook his head. "It was nothing. Thank you, though - for telling me. I hate arguing with you." Smiling, he tangled my fingers in his own, resting them on his knee under the desk.

Miss Bordeaux returned, clearly confused that we were no longer arguing. Twenty minutes later, she let us go. Connor held my hand as we left the room. At the school's front doors, his phone rang.

 "One minute," he told me, handing me his car keys. That made me curious - what could Connor possibly have to talk about that I wasn't allowed to hear? Maybe it was just Hunter business.... or maybe it was the secret behind why he had asked me to lie to the Hunters. As he walked away, I was tempted to find a way to move closer and subtly eavesdrop, until I reached into my own pocket, and felt that piece of paper.

I had to make a call myself.

****

"Wise."

Lyann opened the door to her room, waving me in. I shut the door behind me, not entirely sure what to do. Lee and I hadn't spoken since our last argument, and now I was tense, on edge around the one person to whom I could normally be myself. "Hi." 

I held the piece of paper in my hand, my fist clenched tightly around it. Lyann sat calmly on her bed, laptop open as usual. She wore her usual uniform of jeans and a hoodie, but that didn't make her any less intimidating when she folded her arms. "So what's the problem?"