Page 12 of Let the Light Shine Through

“Yeah. Your boy, B.J.” Twelve words I’ll never get back, too.

But maybe it was worth it to get the scoop on Gia.

Meh. I’d rather get info directly from the source. T.J. can go dig himself a hole.

“It’s not what you think,” she says on an inhale, holding in a mouthful of smoke before blowing it out in one big cloud.

“It stands for Blue Jay. He’s a Blue Jay.”

I nod my head like I know what she means by that, but then, no. I don’t fucking know.

“What?”

“Blue Jays are beautiful…on the outside. They’re related to Crows, so they’re actually scavengers and they can be pretty ruthless.” She intentionally points a finger at T.J., not caring when he frowns, noticing. “Just like him. Pretty to look at but fucking rotten on the inside.”

I don’t think he’s pretty, but I could believe the rotten part. Easily.

“Do you compare everyone to birds, or just him?” I ask, remembering the way she was watching the Crows at Salvy’s funeral.

She shrugs, her lips pulling to the side.

“All right, what about your friend?”

“Which one?”

I scout around for her right-hand man, finding him off to the side, whispering into the ear of the green-haired girl with the wedgie.

Glancing between him and Gia, I frown. I thought…

“He’s a Cockatoo.”

I guess I can see it. His hairstyle does resemble some form of a mohawk.

“And them?” I point to some girls that keep shooting Gia judgy looks.

Her brown eyes barely land on the trio in question before saying, “Blackbirds.”

I motion for her to elaborate, and she sighs. “None of them are strong enough to stand on their own, so they stick together to better their odds.”

“At what?”

“At making it through life unscathed? I don’t know. You’d have to ask them.”

“I’m asking you.” I know there’s more she’s not telling me.

“A question for a question?”

We hold each other’s eyes until I jerk my chin in agreement. I don’t really want to know about the girls. I want Gia to keep talking. I could listen to her all night, even about birds. Or people.

“Okay, check it.” She rolls her shoulders back, straightening her spine like she’s getting ready for a presentation, and I smirk. “There’s no clear leader, right? They may have their own thoughts and ideas, but they feel more secure acting on them in a flock rather than risking branching out separately. Each part is actually intelligent when you get them alone,” she rolls her eyes in the girls’ direction quickly, “but nobody acts individually without the others following along in solidarity.”

I watch the girls with new eyes. I would’ve never thought of them—or anybody—like that, but Gia’s right. You can see it in the way their eyes skirt to each other for constant reassurance.

“Blackbirds. They fill the sky with murmurations, but they’re not exactly beautiful. Sometimes they can even be haunting.”

“How do you know all that about them?”

“They went to my school.”