Fate's Exchange (Twisted Fate, Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-One

On Monday morning I walked into school feeling dejected. The gray walls taunted me for my failure until all I wanted to do was run home and hide under my blankets, just as I had over the weekend. I didn't wave at Suzie or look at the other students in the hall and try to smile at those I knew. Walking straight to my locker, I took a deep breath and waited for the cycle to begin again, hoping something would change to produce better results.

"Where have you been all weekend? Were you sick?" Tina wiggled her way in beside me, once again shoving the freshman boy away. I watched him, mouthing 'sorry' as he glared back at Tina over his shoulder. "Every time I tried calling, your mom said you were sleeping."

"I'm fine, Tina," I said without looking up. My hand hesitated over my dusty Health textbook, but I slammed my locker shut without removing it. "Let's go to the library, okay? I want to do some research for my Christian Ethics class."

"I thought that was your easy class?"

I shrugged and started to walk, not wanting to have to lie. If I lived past Friday, I could use my experience combined with the research I planned on completing to submit a paper for extra credit. It was win-win—no lying, easy grade. "It's a fly-by, Tina, but that doesn't mean I don't have to stop for fuel."

"What's that?"

She picked up her pace to stay beside me while the students that had been crowding the hall disappeared behind classroom doors before the tardy bell rang. I could feel her watching me, but I refused to be distracted. Keeping my focus on the double doors of the library at the end of the hallway was the only way to stop from telling her everything that had happened.

Would she understand why I would be mad at her for wasting a life I'd died to save?

"I want to research life after death," I told her, and sighed. How long was I expected to keep this up? "Reincarnation? Angels, maybe. I'll know it when I find it." It wasn't a lie.

"Why would you want to research that?" Tina snickered.

"I told you, for a project."

She rolled her eyes at me but didn't fall behind as I continued to the library. "You are weird."

I felt her gaze fall away from me to focus on the doors of the library, and I exhaled with relief. I didn't know if I had it in me to side-step her questions. I'd died twice now. Not having anyone to talk to was hard. How could I act normal? Like nothing was wrong and my world hadn't been spun on its axis? Knowing about what Mr. Tinsley liked to do behind closed doors made thinking about anything else near impossible and discovering the depths of his deception was unfathomable. By dying and coming back, all that he'd been forced to suffer had been undone. Maybe, as soon as Tina wasn't hovering anymore, I could nail him by proving he was a fraud.

"I know, but isn't that why we're friends?" I smiled, deciding that a happy front was a good defense, and pushed against the swinging double doors of the library. It bounced back, hitting my face as it collided with someone coming from the other side. "Okay, ow. That hur—"

My hand came up to rub my nose, and I scowled at the door as it began to open inwards. Whoever I'd slammed into was chivalrous enough to step away, but the damage had already been done. I better not walk away from this with a bruise.

 "I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"She's fine," Tina said and nudged me with her elbow. Yelping, I looked up as she added, "I'm Tina."

Real subtle, Tina.

I brought my fingers back to my face, self-conscious of possible damage. Tender, it didn't feel swollen. Still, it throbbed, and I was sure Rudolph's nose on Christmas Eve would be jealous. So embarrassing.