PULSE

Chapter Four

[ AUGUST 3 ]

By this time, after nearly a month, I was clearly able to recognize Ava's voice as she called after my back from down the hall. Even though the greater part of my body was telling me to keep moving, something compelled me to stop and wait for her to catch up.

She came up behind me panting slightly, and I turned to meet her halfway. She smiled immediately, holding out a cheap umbrella at an arm's length.

"You loaned your umbrella to me," she said.

My eyes flicked from the umbrella to her face, and I pushed my hands into my pockets. "Didn't I tell you to keep it?" I asked.

She nodded her thanks, stashing it in her backpack and smiling up toward me. For a new moments (just long enough to make me uncomfortable with her eye contact), she only watched me, before finally turning back toward where she came from.

"Lev!" she yelled down the hall, motioning over her head toward a group of students emerging from the classroom that we had just come from. A single head snapped up in the crowd, and after a chorus of whooping and teasing, he broke free from the entourage and advanced down the hall toward Ava and I. When he joined us after a few seconds, she touched his shoulder and grinned up at him before turning to me. "Aidan, this is my friend, Lev. Lev, this is Aidan, the guy who loaned me the umbrella."

Lev's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded toward me, holding out a hand.

I nodded in return, but instead slid my hands in my pockets and looked toward the floor.

"We've met," I said, trying not to notice as Lev's fingers curled uncomfortably and his hand dropped back to his side.

He recovered quickly, though, watching me as he said, "Yeah, that's right. He helped me out the other day when I got myself in a little trouble."

Ava suddenly scowled, punching his bicep. "A little trouble? Were you in another fight?"

"It's not a fight if it's one-sided," I muttered, flicking a glance toward Lev.

He stared at me for a few seconds, as if he couldn't decide what to make of me or anything that came out of my mouth. It wasn't long, though, before he seemed to have decided, and he chuckled.

"You 'fell down the stairs'? You think I'm that dense?" Ava demanded, thumping him on his slightly blackened cheek.

Lev let out an undignified sound, swatting her away and rolling his eyes as he looked back toward me. "Just a couple scratches. Nothing to worry about."

Ava only glared at him for a few moments before smiling toward me. "Thanks. Again."

I nodded uncomfortably, my eyes tracing the tiles in the floor.

"Hey!" Ava exclaimed suddenly, looking brightly between Lev and I. "Do you want to walk with us? I don't know what direction you live in, but..."

I turned up slowly to face her fully, trying to properly process her question. After only a few moments, though, she waved her hand dismissively, as if taking back the offer.

"Right, right. You like walking alone. You already told me that," she continued, half talking to me and half to herself. "Never mind, then. We'll see you in class tomorrow, since we all have English together. Right?"

I swallowed slowly before nodding and forcing most likely the least enthusiastic smile that she'd seen in a while. She waved quickly before passing me and heading down the hall, toward the exit of the building. Lev laid a hand on my shoulder for just a moment as he passed, nodding toward me as he continued on after her.