Terror By Night

Chapter 10

I'm not surprised the noise is centered around none other than Kendra. That girl thrives on drama. Snatches of words float in our direction. At present, it sounds like she's flipping out about the soap.

Whatever her problem, it's been a pleasant distraction. I'm still wrapping my head around how quickly Zoe and Nolan have taken to Xavier and accepted him into the fold. His continual presence throws me off. I need to focus on our next steps, our game plan. At some point today, we will get an update on our situation and I plan on being prepared. It's been 19 hours and 27 minutes since the principal made her announcement which turned my world upside down. I can't keep being thrown off by Xavier. If he's going to be staying close, and by all appearances that's his plan, then I need to find a way to turn off whatever trigger that sends me into brain spasms.

Easier said than done. Xavier chooses to nudge me with his foot. "Hey Layken. Want to go walk around? I can only sit for so long. And we can spy on the teachers. That's the way to get clues right?"

My gaze shifts between the three people sitting around me. Nolan glances up then goes back to scribbling in his notebook. Apparently, he feels I'm safe to wander around with Xavier in a closed gym. Zoe is hard to look at. She's not doing a very good job at hiding her amusement. She nods her head vigorously. "Go ahead Layken. I can look after Nolan fine on my own." 

At the mention of his name, Nolan glances up. "Sure Zo. You can babysit me. I'll be on my best behavior."

Xavier laughs softly. "You do that. Wouldn't want to be put in time-out." 

Xavier stands and offers to help me up. Not sure what to do, I stare at his outstretched hand a moment too long and watch it fall back to his side. "You coming?" He asks quietly.

I stand and we begin a slow pace. I follow his lead, not that there are many choices. We make our way toward the side of the gym where the food has quickly disappeared. We go along in somewhat awkward silence. At least, it feels awkward on my point. Mainly because it's so new and strange. This casual friendship he is trying to foster feels off somehow. It's not that I don't want to be friends. Being Xavier Ross's friend wouldn't be so bad. Maybe that's all he wants, is to be friends. But with the way my heart lurches at his smile, at the way my breath catches in my throat every time he says my name; I have a difficult time imagining we could be friends. Not when I want something more. I never dreamed it was possible though. Xavier always seemed far out of reach. Yet here he is, walking slowly by my side, letting the silence hang in the air between us. 

I'm thinking I should say something but he beats me to it. "I'm sorry about last night."

Not that I had any clue what he wanted to say, but that wasn't even on my radar. In the few short minutes we'd been strolling along, I had come to the conclusion that he wanted to talk about something. It was the most logical explanation for him taking us out of earshot of my friends. I just didn't know what he wanted to talk to me about. Last night? Why is he sorry about last night? 

I ask him, "What do you mean?" 

"I'm sorry I gave you a hard time about going to your locker. I shouldn't have. I didn't know what you had gone for and it seemed like such a crazy risk to take."

He's not looking at me directly in an attempt to minimize the weirdness of the conversation. It suddenly occurs to me what he's referring to. Nolan must've told him what I had gone  back to retrieve, what had meant so much to me I'd risk getting in trouble, possibly even my life, to get.

"Nolan." 

He angles his head so his hair falls into his eyes. "Yeah. Don't be mad at him though. I had to know. It seemed so out of character for you to pull something like that. I figured it had to be pretty important. Curiosity got the best of me."