Evil Hearts - A Listen To Your Heart Book

Confrontations

Mal ran as fast as she could to her class and stormed through the door, earning her the attention of everyone.

"Well, Miss Green, you have decided to show up," an elderly woman, who Mal presumed to be the art teacher said. "It's so nice of you to finally join us. But let me be clear, this is the first and last time you are late for my class."

"Yes ma'am," Mal said, softly.

"You may take your seat," the teacher commented when Mal stayed in her place.

"Yes ma'am. Of course ma'am." Mal felt stupid and embarrassed. It didn't help that the girl in the front of the class snickered obnoxiously loud.

"Wow I knew VKs were bad, but I didn't peg them as slow either," she said to her friend.

Mal scowled and looked to the teacher, but she didn't do anything or say a word to the girl. She only smirked.

Map got her stuff out of her bag. This is going to be a long summer, she thought.

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"Come on! Ow! Come on! Ow!" Audrey yelled as she was pacing trying to get a signal on her phone.

"Audrey, stop that's not going to work," Jay said. "And besides your ankle."

"My ankle is fine!" Audrey persisted. "Ow!"

"Seriously!" Jay got up from his log and snatched Audrey's phone out of her hand and dragged her to the log. "You need to rest your ankle."

"I'm fine!"

"Gosh you're so stubborn!" Jay said. He lifted her ankle and placed it on his lap. Her ankle had swollen even more and was turning more purple by the minute.

Audrey was wide eyed with horror. She knew it was bad, but she wasn't going to admit it. "See? Perfectly fine!"

Jay rolled his eyes. "Your ankle is more swollen than a pregnant woman's. "

"Hey!," Audrey hit him. "Rude!"

Jay chuckled. "No but seriously, we need to find you medical help. According to my watch it's 9:34 so we better get a move on and not waste precious daylight."

"Well then lets not waste a minute!" She got up quickly and twisted her ankle slightly. She muffled her cries and faked a smile. "Lets go!" She started to walk but was limping and cringing.

"Audrey, let me help you," jay said.

"No I'm fine!" Audrey kept walking but her ankle gave out and she almost fell, hadn't it been for Jay catching her.

"I'm helping you princess, whether you want me to or not." Jay helped her get on his back.

"You know this is completely unnecessary," Audrey said.

"I wouldn't be complaining if I were you. I know there's a small village east so we're gonna do our best to find it."

"How exactly are you going to do that?" Audrey asked incredulously.

Jay pointed at a tree. "You see that tree over there? Moss always grows on the north side of it so we can figure out which way is east."

"How do you know that?"

"Carlos was obsessed with reading every nature guide and almanac before heading out." Jay explained. "I picked something up."

"Just like you picked up name meanings?" Audrey smirked.

"Kind of," Jay shrugged. "But it's no big deal."

"You know Jay?" Audrey said. "You're a lot smarter than you think you are."

Jay couldn't help but smile at her words, but he quickly shrugged it off. "Whatever you say princess, lets go."
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Jane looked around at the other kids at the clinic. Some looked better and some looked worse. And one boy in particular kept staring at her. And it was creeping her out.

She looked down at food on her plate. Fresh fruit and oatmeal. Her favorite. Except that every time she looked at it or smelled it, she felt like vomiting. She knew she had to eat, but the food looked unappetizing. Her stomach gurgled.

"Jane, you need to eat something," Clara, one of the nurses said. "At least eat some fruit. If you can do that for me, then you may go to your room for quiet time."

"Ok," Jane said meekly. She tried her best to choke down her berries and some apples. Her stomach stopped growling and she didn't feel too nauseated. "May I go now?"

Clara smiled. "Of course, but tomorrow I want you to try some oatmeal."

"Yes ma'am." Jane cleaned up her plate and went to her room. She looked back at the other kids who didn't want to eat. The boy who had been looking at her ran up to her.

"Hello," he said, extending out his hand. "I'm Navi and I'm 12. Would you like to be my friend?"

Jane was taken aback by his forwardness. "Sure," she replied. "I guess a friend here wouldn't hurt."

"I've been here a couple months and you're the first person who has come whom I know is a truly kind soul. I'm so glad you'll be my friend!" Navi hugged Jane. Jane was taken off guard but ended up hugging him back.

"Well it's my pleasure," Jane giggled. She was surprised by her reaction, because it had been a long time since she had smiled.
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"So if you know how to find directions using grass-" Audrey asked.

"Moss," Jay corrected.

"Ok moss, whatever. Why can't you just take us back to the cabin?" Audrey finished.

"Because I have no idea which direction the cabin is in," Jay said. "Doug was the one leading and I was too busy arguing with Carlos and being distracted with your blatant flirting with Chad and Ben. You know just cuz they're your exes and are single doesn't mean their ex girlfriends won't skin you alive."

Audrey rolled her eyes. "You and Carlos are such children. Who honestly cares what mushrooms are poisonous and which bark makes the best food. And as for Chad and Ben, they're exes and Mal and Lonnie don't have to worry about me. Those two are so gone for them that they'll never look at another girl-wait!"

"What?"

Audrey furrowed her brows. "Why were you distracted by that?"

Jay blushed. "I wasn't."

"You just said and I quote 'I was too busy being distracted by my blatant flirting with Ben and Chad," Audrey smirked.

"I recall no such thing."

Audrey smacked her lips. "I'm pretty sure that's what you said."

"Nope. Maybe you've been in the sun too long princess and now you're imagining things." Jay babbled.

"No way," Audrey defended. "Oh my gosh. Were you jealous?"

Jay frowned and blushed harder. "What? No! Why would you think that?"

"You are literally turning into a tomato right now," Audrey smirked.

"You're crazy," Jay said. He stopped so Audrey could hop off his back. He turned around to look at her. "I was not jealous. Why would I be?"

Audrey looked him square in the eye. "I don't know. You tell me."