Touch

37

Before I go back inside, I spot Hanna and Luke sitting outside in the courtyard across the lawn. Hanna waves, and I head over to join them, slightly taken aback by her outfit du jour.

There's a pink studded choker fastened around her neck. An actual dog leash is attached to it, which in turn hooks on to her matching pink gumball ring.

"It's from my Princess S-and-M line," she explains. "Where were you last night?" I ask.

"Sorry," she says. "After I got back from your house, I got into a huge fight with my parents for going out at all. They sequestered me in my bedroom sans cell phone."

"What about the library?"

"Um, what library?"

"Your mom said that's where you went." Hanna shakes her head. "I was home. I have the designs to prove it, a strappy dress with beaded fringe and leather detail. I call it Roaring Twenties Meets Today's Vampy Vixen."

"Or you could simply call it ugly," Luke suggests. "I bet she just said that so she wouldn't have to come get me in my room," Hanna continues.

"The woman was a raving loony last night."

"And I have the bite marks to prove it," Luke jokes. "I guess..." I mutter, not knowing what else to say, or what to believe.

"This school is lame," Luke says. "I mean, check it out." He gestures toward the sign with his Slurpee.

"They didn't even spell murderer right."

"Um, yes they did," Hanna says. Luke sips thoughtfully and takes another look, trying to figure it out. "Has Snell been out here?" I ask.

"Principal Smell," he says , "has yet to make an appearance."

"But I'm sure he's crapping himself as we speak," Hanna says. "Rumor has it a reporter for the Tribune was here earlier. Apparently they already nabbed a photo op. Prepare to see it on the front page tomorrow."

"With a bunch of cheesy freshman posing in front of it," Luke says. "Speaking of freshmen," I say , "I spoke to that Josie girl."

"The one who's supposedly on Zayn's zapper list?" Luke asks. I nod reluctantly and then fill them in on what she said, including about the note. "Just a note?" Hanna asks.

"No creepy snapshots of her hanging around the school?"

"No pj's left on her windowsill?" Luke adds. "The note didn't look anything like the ones I got," I say.

"It actually looked more like the one on Zayn's locker. They were both written on scraps of paper in regular black ink."

"So, what does that prove?" Luke asks.

"Maybe hers is a joke, but mine isn't." I shrug. "I don't know," Luke says. "It seems pretty weird that Zayn's been hanging around you both."

"And randomly shows up at both of your houses when you least expect it," Hanna adds. "Not to mention the notes, the stares, the way he's always touching you," Luke says. "But he doesn't touch her," I pipe up, as though that's supposed to defend him.

"Oh my god!" Hanna squeals, spotting Ethan Hawke in the crowd. She straightens out the hem of her poofy skirt.

"Is he coming over here? How do I look?"

"How can you even be interested in him?" I ask.

"Are you blind?"

"Are you? Did you not see the way he acted in the cafeteria the other day, how he dumped a bowl of soup over Zayn's head?"

"Okay, no comment." She exchanges a look with Luke, complete with bulging eyes and raised eyebrows. "Right," Luke says. "Let's talk about something a bit safer, shall we?"

"Forget it," I say, getting up from the table. "April!" Hanna squawks. "Don't be like that."

"Like what?" I snap. "How can you be attracted to someone so openly cruel?"

"And how can you can be attracted to someone so completely creepy?" I look away, not knowing what to say, deciding not to tell them about my mirror, the shredded pj's, or my night out with Zayn.

"Seriously," she continues, "you can't honestly tell me this Sour Patch Kids mood of yours is all because I happen to think Ethane hot." I shrug, suspecting she's right, that it has more to do with who I can trust.

I glance back in the direction of the sign and, as if by fate, Zayn's motorcycle comes pulling into the parking lot. "Shit, meet fan," Luke says, somewhat under his breath.

Zayn parks his bike and then sees the sign.

Meanwhile, everyone is staring right at him, waiting for his response. I clench my teeth, hoping he won't let it bother him, that he'll take the proverbial high road and let it roll right off his back.

But instead he takes his helmet and whips it at the sign, then hops back on his bike and revs up the engine so loud I feel my insides explode.

He peels out of the parking lot, and it's quiet for several moments, there's just the hum of his engine as it continues down the street.

· · ·

I can't deal with these hoes ~ Me

~ Malum