Unto Shadows

viii. flirts & stalkers

Flirts & Stalkers

I DIDN'T LAST much longer before getting struck out with a ball to the stomach. Another fifteen minutes and the game was over, six players left on Linda's side and none on Caleb's. The rest of class were left to our own devices until the bell rang.

"Hey, you flirty girl."

I snorted at the comment and didn't bother sparing Heath a glance as he caught up to me. "I think that's the worst nickname you've come up with."

Heath shrugged. "It's a work in progress."

We pushed through the crowd of students in the hallways, Heath sliding in front of me to work as a barrier. You'd be surprised by how many times some tall student in front of me would step back, not realizing I was there, and nearly trample me. Heath and I had a system in the hallways and cafeteria, and this was part of it. He leaned against the locker next to mine when we made it through the mess of teenagers. I entered in the combination and pulled the door open just as Heath said, "I can't believe that guy blatantly flirted with you."

I raised a challenging brow. "What, you don't think I'm good enough to be flirted with?"

His eyes widened. "No, that's not what I—you're messing with me, aren't you?" He shook his head. "Between you and your mother, I don't know who gives me more shit."

I rolled my eyes and shut the locker after stuffing in my work books. "Don't be such a parent. I don't even know the guy's name. It was probably just a joke."

I turned to start walking towards Heath's locker. He made a show of making a dramatic pause, stunned expression intact, before following. "Wow, Charity, that's depressing of you. Don't you think guys like you?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words never left. Instead, a shiver ran down my spine as I locked on to a pair of intense brown eyes. I recognized him from one of my classes. With dark skin and close-cut curls on the top of his head, he stood a little shorter than Heath. He had a thin build, but enough muscle to imply he was probably athletic. As soon as I caught him staring, he averted his eyes, talking to a group of his friends like nothing had happened. None of them seemed to notice the interaction.

      Tearing my eyes away, I glanced at Heath, fighting the rush of uneasiness his stare had left me with. Those eyes . . . they stared right through me. Like he knew something I didn't, and the thought left me feeling unbelievably uncomfortable. "Do you know that guy?"

      Heath glanced over my shoulder where I subtly gestured my head, and I winced at his blatant staring. "No, not personally. I've seen him around school, but I don't know his name. Why?"

      I didn't answer him. I wasn't really sure what to say that wouldn't make me sound paranoid. Maybe I was just being paranoid. It was probably nothing. Just a trick or the light, or maybe I was looking too deep into a quick glance. I shook the intrusive thoughts away. I was just reeling from everything with Revenant, that's all. It was making me nervous and paranoid—even more reason to do everything in my power to forget the masked vigilante.

      When I forced my attention back to the tall blond, he had already shut his locker, bag slung over his shoulder. He stared at me expectantly and gestured towards the large double doors that would lead us into daylight. "You okay?"

      I nodded and plastered on a smile I hoped was believable. "Yeah, just a little dazed. You ready?"

      Heath nodded, and together we left the building.

•••••

      "You know, some people find it creepy to walk around a park and stare at peoples' children."

      I gaped. "I am not staring at peoples' children," I argued, lifting my chin defensively. "I happen to like the park, thank you."

      Heath shrugged with indifference. "Suit yourself, but I still think you're a creep."

      "You're here too," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and letting my resolve crumble.

      "Yes," he admitted. He folded his arms behind his head and crossed his ankles in front of him, "but I'm not the one staring at children."

      "I am not staring at children!" I should've just kept my mouth shut and ignored him. Arguing with Heath was a hopeless cause. No matter how much sense your argument made, he always had a senseless comment to throw in that would take you off guard. Every time. You either learn to give up, or be left dumbfounded by his sense of logic.

      "Mhm." His lip twitched with the smirk he tried to hide. He checked his phone. "Good thing it's about time to take you home, stalker."

I ignored his taunting in favor of starting the trek home. It wasn't until we made it to the alley close to my apartments that Heath finally spoke again, and what he said nearly made me choke.

      "What do you think of the new bad guy?"

      So much for not thinking about Revenant. "What?"

      "You met him," he said," the night he landed in your room. I just wondered what you thought of him."

     "I didn't really get much of a chance to form an opinion," I said, remembering that Heath was under the impression Revenant had left as soon as he crashed in my room.

      "Nobody knows his name, yet." He looked up at the building Revenant was thrown into the night we met, when he changed his trajectory and ended up shattering my window. "But there's a video online of him fighting the Big Three the night he crashed in your window. It was a pretty nasty fight. They kicked his ass."

      I snorted. "The 'Big Three'? Who came up with that one."

      He laughed. "Reporters, I guess. Nobody's seen our city's new villain since then. Some people wonder if he's dead, but considering you said he left your apartment, it's safe to assume he's not."

      A sense of pride washed over me at knowing I was the only one besides Heath aware that Revenant was most definitely alive. More than that, I was seemingly the only one who knew his alias: Revenant.

      I shrugged and tried to hide the way my chin rose a notch. "Who knows?"