Entangled

Chapter 4

Lexie

A week later, I was doing what my dad would have called "adjusting" and what I would have called "not being completely miserable."

But either way, things were going better.

For the first time in years, I actually had people to sit with at lunch, which was weird but definitely a nice change of pace. At school, there were two other girls in the coven, and we all sat together in a gazebo in the back. Sometimes the girls ordered a pizza, even though I was pretty sure that was against the rules here.

They spent most of the hour talking about coven gossip, which I never had much to contribute to. But they seemed fine with me staying quiet. Out of everyone in the coven, it seemed like Claire was the only one who actually liked me, instead of tolerated me.

But I wasn't complaining. At the very least, being seen with Claire and her friends seemed to make me less of a target. To my relief, the girl with the coffee, Mia Barrett, had pretty much left me alone.

"So, here's how it's going to be on this beautiful Monday morning. For today's class, I want you all to dust off a few of those logical reasoning skills," Mr. Yardley said as he stood in the main area of the library. "For some of you, it might be the first time these skills are seeing the light of day. My suggestion is, stretch and stay hydrated."

Sitting at my table for one, I chuckled.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Caleb was smiling, too. I chanced a quick look at him and, almost immediately, got caught.

As our eyes locked, I turned away like I had been burned, hoping he didn't see the flush on my cheeks.

Caleb and I hadn't spoken since my first day at Shadehaven, which shouldn't have been weird. Except that it kind of was. In the days that followed, I had tried smiling at him a few times, but after it was obvious he preferred to just ignore me, I had taken the hint and given up.

Not that I cared or anything.

"Your assignment today is simple: you'll go through some first-person accounts of a historical event and try to compile your own version of what actually happened. You'll be paired up according to which topic you pick from this bag." Mr. Yardley laid a brown lunch bag on the nearest table.

Each student grabbed a sheet of paper before passing the bag over.

Mr. Yardley continued, "Now, since the library has received a rather sizable donation of antiquarian books from the Alderwood family, you'll find plenty of resources in the new Rare Books section toward the back."

The rest of the class glanced over at me, and I squirmed in my seat and stared at the shiny tabletop in front of me. Did he have to mention the part about my family donating the books?

"It's funny how those Spellmans think they run this town," Mia stage-whispered behind me, her accent so thick that her words were like sludge. Almost everyone in Shadehaven had at least a trace of an accent, but it seemed like Mia slathered hers on like an expensive moisturizer.

"Actually," she continued, "I've actually always thought there was something kind of creepy about the Spellmans, don't you?"

I knew she was talking to someone else, probably some random person in her army of clones, but I had the distinct feeling she wanted me to respond.

Well, I wouldn't give her the satisfaction. No way. She wasn't worth it.

I stared straight ahead, refusing to hear another word.

"You know," Mia went on, her voice a quiet, conspiratorial purr, "my mama said that the Spellmans are so weird because they worship Satan."

I rolled my eyes. I was still pissed off, but it barely brought a blush to my cheeks. I had been accused so many times of being a witch and/or Satan worshipper that I was past the point of caring.