Invisible

Invisible Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Selfish Choices

(Olivia)

“Someone broke into our house last night,” I snap at Robin when I finally corner her.

“What?” she squeaks.

My eyes bore into her. “Someone. Broke. Into. Our. House. Last. Night.”

Robin fumbles with her backpack and almost drops it. “Olivia, that’s terrible! Is everyone okay?”

“We’re fine, but I want some answers.”

I watch as Robin’s eyes dart around for help or reassurance that I’m not crazy. She doesn’t find any. “Answers about what?” she asks.

“I think it was a Sentinel that broke into our house last night.”

“And you think I had something to do with it?” Robin asks, clearly confused.

“No,” I snap, although the thought had crossed my mind many times. Mason talked me out of the idea, but I’m still not completely convinced. “But I want to know how Sentinels find Aerlings. The truth this time.”

“What do you mean? I told you how they find them.”

Robin tries to back away, but I won’t let her get away from me. “After the police finally left, all I could think about was how there had to be some other way for the Sentinels to find Aerlings. It couldn’t just be luck and tabloid stories. There has to be something else that draws them to Aerlings. I simply can’t believe there isn’t something more.”

“Don’t…don’t you, um, have to get to class?” Robin asks.

“Mason will let me know what I miss. You, on the other hand, have a free period right now, so don’t think you’re going to escape answering,” I say.

Robin’s mouth opens. It closes right after. Something seems to go out of her as her head drops. “Can we go somewhere else to talk?”

The practice gym is empty this hour, so I turn on my heel and head in that direction, knowing Robin will follow. I don’t look back to make sure. The shuffle and squeak of her sneakers dragging her after me is confirmation. I don’t really need it, though, because I know she understands that if she doesn’t tell me, her friendship with Mason will be over. It’s obvious that she cares about him and doesn’t want that to happen. So she follows.

My nose wrinkles as the smell of old sweat that always seems to permeate the practice gym hits my nose. I toss my backpack down. Robin slumps to the first bleacher, her own backpack landing at her feet with a thud.

On the way over here, a dozen questions about Sentinels were running through my mind. When I open my mouth, none of those questions come out.

“Mason told me about Eliana,” I say quietly.

Robin’s head pops up. The surprise on her face doesn’t make sense to me. “He did?”

I nod. “We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“He told you everything?” Robin asks, her hands trembling.

“He told me how you told your friends about Eliana and the Sentinels killed her the next night. It was clear how much it affected you. He was pretty upset himself just telling me about it. I know he believes you.” I take a deep breath, trying to keep my opinions from overruling everything else. “Mason told me that you offered to step back and stay away from him in order to protect him and he told you no.”