Gifted

Chapter Nine

Monday was more than half over, and I'd successfully ignored Chase. While sitting in homeroom, however, I felt the hairs on my arm standing on end and gave myself a headache just trying to ignore him.

"Morgan," he whispered again. Knowing that ignoring him was being immature I finally looked over.

"I'm really busy." I threw him my best annoyed look.

"I need to talk to you," he insisted.

"Mr. Thomas, do I need to find you work to do?" Our homeroom teacher called from behind his hunting magazine. We were supposed to be using homeroom as a study hall, so Mr. Green was obviously annoyed at having to put down his reading material during his break from actually having to teach during the day.

I could see Chase shake his head out of the corner of my eye and return his attention to the notebook that lay open in front of him. I was relieved his attention shifted off me. I had to admit, his urgency to talk to me sparked my curiosity, but Chase seemed to be symbolic of a powder keg, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before he exploded.

I hustled from homeroom as fast as possible and just about made it to French when Chase caught up.

"Morgan, we really do need to talk." His aqua eyes cut into mine, and I felt a chill spread down my back.

I was about to come up with another excuse to blow him off, but something about the look in his eye cut me off. I blew out a sigh and ran my hand through my curls.

"Okay." I tossed my hands up in resignation.

"Do you wanna skip?" He smiled, and I felt my heart beat faster; Chase may creep me out, but he was still sexy.

"Well, considering I'm standing outside my class, and I'm pretty sure my teacher's watching us; I don't think that would be a good idea. We can meet up later, after school," I said.

"Okay." He nodded eagerly.

"We can meet in the cafeteria at like six?"

His face fell. "I'd rather meet privately." He lowered his voice, and my anxiety shot up a level. A private meeting with Chase, no witnesses if he turned out to be a creep after all, I was skeptical.

"I, um, I'm not sure about-"

He interrupted before I had a chance to object, "The woods, right behind the girls' dorm, at six then." And with that he was gone, already fading away into the crowd. I stood there a moment, not sure if I even intended on meeting him. What could be so important? We didn't even know each other. What could two strangers possibly have to share in private? What secret was Chase hiding? I thought about my own secret, and my stomach shifted uneasily.

The time flew like it always does when you're dreading something. I finished the last two classes and crossed campus with Iris. We interrupted our usual comfortable silence to talk about Kenzie's plans for the weekend.