DESCENDED

SAMUEL

"Stop it, before you both get suspended!" I yell at them.

"Sebastian's just upset I get to take you to the Ball, and he can't." Samuel laughs.

"You knew," Sebastian glares at him.

"Of course, I knew. What amuses me is the fact that you didn't."

"That's enough. Samuel, let's go," I gram him by his shirt and pull him toward the cafeteria. "Walk me to class."

Samuel gives Sebastian a smug smile, and Sebastian puts his fist through a wall.

I've never seen him this angry before.

"Thank you for walking me to class."

"No problem," Samuel replies. "You should let me call you sometime."

"I'll think about it," I frown.

Giving him a quick hug, I hurry off to class. A class Sebastian and I are partnered in. Only, I'm not ready to talk to him yet.

Unfortunately, he strolls in just before the bell rings, and Ms. McKenna gives him a warning look. Keeping my eyes on the chalkboard, I ignore him. But I can feel Sebastian's eyes burrowing into the side of my head. And after five minutes of pretending not to notice him staring, I give in. Looking over at him.

"Don't shut me out, talk to me," he tells me.

"Now you want to talk," I scoff. Shaking my head.

"Look, I know I've been mean to you b-."

"Mean is an understatement. You hurt me, Sebastian."

"I know, and I'm sorry," he apologizes.

"So am I," I snap at him. "I needed you and you turned your back on me. Just like everyone else. At a time when I needed you most. And you left me to fend for myself."

"Angelique... you should've told me about the things you could do."

"Why would I tell you anything? You're rude and you don't care about anyone but yourself. Besides, I don't trust you. And I don't want people thinking I'm some freak."

"Okay, but I almost killed your cousin thinking she was you," he tells me.

"Yeah, well, that's a little something called karma for you both." I scoff.

"I need you to listen to me and take what I'm about to say seriously. You need to keep your distance from Samuel."

"Ah, so that's what this is about. First, you didn't want to be my friend, and now you don't want Samuel and I to be friends either."

"It's more than that, but I can't explain it right now. Whatever path you choose will have to be your own," Sebastian sighs.

"Good, because I'm going with Samuel to the Ball," I tell him.

"Angelique, I-"

"No talking Mr. Christiani!" Ms. McKenna shouts at him.

Sebastian glares at her like she's the one interrupting. Then with a clockwise twirl of his index finger, everythingfreezes. Ms. McKenna stands frozen mid-rant, and everyone else is frozen too. Everyone else but Sebastian and me.

No wonder he didn't seem surprised when he saw what I could do.

"What happened to Anna? Why did she almost die when she kissed you?" I ask curiously.