Page 124 of When Darkness Calls

He makes a face, then reaches for his bag, digging around before pulling out a bag of Skittles. “Want some?”

“Please.”

We sit there for a while, moaning about the idiocy that is Seminar, munching on the hordes of candy he has stashed in his bag, and it takes me back to how things were in high school. When this was our usual lunch and study hall routine.

“Oh, hey, did you figure out what you’re doing for the portfolio?” he asks, throwing a peanut M&M into the air and catching it in his mouth.

I groan, laying on the table. “No. No, I haven’t.”

“Have you talked to Ethan? I’m sure he’d—”

“NO! Just. No. Professor Logan said I should too, but I’m probably just going to talk to Grayson.”

Issac posture shifts. He glances at me quickly, eating another M&M. “So, you guys are really talking again, then? Things are back to being like they used to?”

I shrug. “Yeah, I mean, I’m staying with him right now—”

“What?” His head snaps at me.

“Yeah. Cay…has to leave for a few days and with those girls missing, he felt better knowing I was staying with someone, so.”

Issac scoffs. “You couldn’t stay with Liz, or your dad? You have to stay with him?”

“It’s easier. It’s not that big of a deal,” I mutter, eying him.

“Have you forgotten he’s the reason you got attacked last year? He just left you on the side of the road!”

I’m speechless. “I don’t blame him for that. You know that, Issac. And besides, he didn’t leave me, I walked off.” I watch him, jaw tensing, eyes heated. “How did you know that anyway? I don’t think I told you.”

He pauses, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. He takes a deep breath, eating another M&M. “Liz told me what happened that night. I was worried about you.”

“Everything’s okay now. Between me and Grayson. Me and, well, the world I guess.” I laugh nervously.

“Yeah,” he mutters.

Then it’s awkward. It seems like most of the time now, my interactions with Issac end up this way.

I glance at my phone and curse, pretending I’m late. “I got to go. I have a meeting with a professor…Um, office hours. I’ll see you later.” I stand grabbing all my stuff as he watches me intently.

“Alright. I’ll see you during break or photography.”

“Um, yeah! Bye!”

I rush away from the plaza, trekking down the small hill between the science and math buildings. I can go there and wait for class to start at least. As I’m making my way down the sidewalk, the feeling of someone watching me stops me in my tracks. I turned, expecting to see Issac still watching me from the table, and I do, but he’s not the only one. From where I stand, I can see behind the large oak tree Issac was pulled towards, and there, standing with a smirk is Ethan. He wags his fingers in a taunting wave.

My pace quickens.

No matter how much I hate math, I’d rather spend the whole day in that building than another second with Ethan’s stare freezing the back of my head.

thirty-six

Grayson

Dani walks through my front door with the ease of someone who has been doing it for years and not a few days. I like the sight of it. Her wild waves glow in the halo of golden light shining behind her in the doorway. She looks like she belongs here in the cream-colored walls of the living room and kitchen, in the midst of framed photographs I took. She looks at home.

Thankfully working as a freelance photographer has given me the ability to make my own schedule. I’ve been home as much as humanly possible. Waiting for any chance I can to spend time with her.

“Hey, Doll. How were classes?” I ask, peering over my shoulder standing at the stove.