Silverlake

Chapter 11

*Author's note: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted to write it for you guys after the mix up with chapter 10*

My mom gave me my phone back when we got home. I turned it on not expecting anything new but instead the screen lit up with a dozen texts, most of which were from Sky. 

Are you okay?

What happened?

I saw Morgon by your car, was it him?

Please tell me you didn't die. 

And some from Carrie.

I got your homework for ya! 

Are you coming back 2 school soon?

And one from Tanner

Hope you're okay

I sighed, what Tanner really meant was it wasn't an accident and I told you so.

~~~~~~~~

"So what exactly happened?" Sky was sitting on Sterling's desk turned towards me before english. Her eyes were full of curiosity, as were every other students, except while hers were sincere, theirs were simply intrusive. 

"My car caught fire." My voice was low enough that she had to lean forward to hear. 

"And...?" She pressed. 

"And, I'll tell you after school?" Sky rolled her eyes at me but before she could beg for more details right then she was interrupted by Sterling standing behind her with an irritated look on his face. He stepped closer to her and she flinched back, her eyes pinching shut. 

"I'm not gonna hit you Sky," he chuckled. 

She laughed but it felt forced and fake as if in those brief moments she was actually scared. I watched her walk back to her desk and that's when I noticed her long sleeves. Granted it was fall in Washington, but there was something about the way she work her jackets and scarves that seemed to do less for keeping out the cold and more for hiding what was underneath. 

"What's wrong?" Sterling asked me. 

"Sky, I think there's something wrong with her." He glanced back at her and then back to me. 

"Yeah." With that he sunk back into his desk. I scoffed, of course he would do this. The hospital couldn't have meant anything to him. 

To make matters worse, Tanner sauntered into the classroom purposefully bumping into Sterling's desk as he passed. Sterling stood up, blocking Tanner's path to the back row. 

"Excuse me?" The two boys stood almost chest to chest. The tension radiating off them could be felt throughout the room, making the entire class go silent with all eyes on them. 

"I suggest you back off, Morgon." Tanner's fists were clenched and his jaw was tight. Sterling was tense, I could tell by the way his veins in his forearms stood out against his tattoos. 

"I don't think you want to do this right now," his voice was calm. 

Neither of them backed down. 

Without thinking I stood up and squeezed in between the two of them. Tanner's eyes widened in surprise. I could feel his magic without touching him. One wrong move and he was going to do something he regretted. 

I turned my body to face Tanner, "Don't. You need to go sit back down." He didn't budge, so I placed my hand onto his chest and stepped closer to whisper in his ear, "I can feel your magic. Back down before you do something stupid." 

He glanced over me to Sterling before stepping back and heading back to his desk. Sterling stepped to the side and let him pass. 

"It's good to know what side you're on," Sterling half growled at me. Instead of heading back to his desk he grabbed his stuff and walked straight out the door without a backwards glance. 

I sat back in my seat glad to finally see Mr. Hatfeld walk into the room already discussing our homework. 

Tanner stopped me on the way out. 

"Hey."

I tried to side step passed him but he blocked my path.

"Hey." 

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"Stopping me back there." I rolled my eyes at him and started walking to my next class. "Wait, Reese!"

"What?" I turned on my heel to face him. "You know what? You're welcome. But don't act all nice now. I know you wish that I would've died in that fire. You're probably just mad that you didn't come up with the idea in the first place." He looked taken aback but that didn't stop him. 

"You think I want you dead?"

"I think you wouldn't mind if I was." He pursed his mouth into a thin line. The bell rang and I didn't give him time to respond before walking into class and sitting down. 

My tattoo burned against my skin as if the triangle was imprinting itself into me. 

Sky was going to hear an earful after school.