“Yeah, I guess so,” I mumbled, hoping I could make it out the door before the tears began to fall.
It was Valentine’s Day. In case you somehow managed to forget, there were red streamers and little cupid cutouts all over the dining hall — you know, subtle reminders. I shook my head in amazement. The holiday committee had really gone above and beyond the call of duty.
“What is that?” Kate asked, glancing down at my plate.
“Chicken salad,” I said, pushing aside the half-eaten sandwich. “I think they put red food coloring in it.” Instead of looking festive, it just looked gross. I’d taken two bites, but couldn’t stomach the rest.
“That’s disgusting,” Kate said. “I think I’m going to hit the salad bar today.”
“Yeah, me too.” Cece traipsed off after her, leaving me, Sophie, and Marissa alone at the table.
“So, are you and Aidan going to the dance tonight?” Sophie asked.
“Yep.” I opened a bag of chips. “For a little while, at least. Are you going with Jack’s friend? What’s his name, Ben?”
Sophie sighed. “Yeah, why not? It’s not like anyone else asked me.”
“You could have asked someone else,” Marissa offered. “If there’s someone you’d rather go with, that is.”
“Does this mean you asked Dean to go with you?” Sophie launched back. Everyone knew that Marissa was crushing on Dean Wilson, a senior who was an empath, like her.
“Course not.” Marissa reached for my bag of chips and helped herself. “I like to play hard to get.”
“I’m going to get another Coke,” I said, pushing back from the table.
“Hey, get me a Diet Coke, will you?” Marissa asked.
Nodding, I stood and headed toward the fountain drinks. I had to pass the table of so-called shifters, and I couldn’t help but steal a peek at them, trying to see if I could recognize the guy who had been terrorized by the obnoxious jock back before Christmas break.
There he was, at the end of the table. Kind of small, with a shock of blond hair that fell across his forehead. Our eyes met briefly before I looked away, my cheeks suddenly burning. He’d seen Aidan’s eyes; he knew too much. I continued on toward the drinks, trying not to think about it.
“Hey, Violet, isn’t it?”
I spun around, and the shifter guy was right there beside me. “Yeah, um, hi,” I said, feeling like an idiot.
“I never got to thank you,” he said, his brown eyes earnest. “You know, for that night.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it.” I waved one hand dismissively. “It was no big deal.”
“Yeah, it was, actually. No one here ever stands up for my kind. Besides, Scott was wasted and who knows what he might have done to both of us if your boyfriend hadn’t shown up when he did. Anyway,” he went on, “I’m Joshua. And if I can ever do anything for you — you know, return the favor somehow. well, I owe you one. You and Aidan.”
“Thanks.” I cleared my throat, wondering how much he’d seen that night. Just the eyes, or the fangs, too? “I mean, I really appreciate the offer, and I, uh, I’ll tell Aidan.”
“Cool. Later, then,” he said with a nod. Again, our eyes met and held for a fraction of a second. There was something honest about his gazesomething reassuring. No matter what he’d seen, he wouldn’t betray us. I don’t know how I knew it, but I did. Joshua was a friend, an ally. I had come to his aid when no one else would, and now he would come to mine, if need be.
I took a deep breath before continuing on, feeling my friends’ eyes on me the whole time. They were going to want to know what we’d talked about, and I’d have to come up with something plausible. I just hoped they weren’t going to make any snide remarks about the shifters, because frankly I wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. Maybe it was time to tell them how I really felt about their prejudices where the shifters were concerned.
Feeling emboldened, I got the drinks and headed back toward the table. Cece and Kate had returned and taken their seats, and everyone looked up at me expectantly as I settled back into my chair.
“So,” Marissa drawled. I knew she’d be first. “What was that shifter freak saying to you?”
I felt myself flush as I handed Marissa her Diet Coke. “First of all, his name is Joshua,” I bit out. “Second of all, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call him a freak. Or any of them, for that matter.”
“Whoa, what’s gotten into you?” Kate asked as she speared a cucumber slice.
“Nothing.” I sighed heavily. “It’s just that I don’t really like the way y’all talk about them. The shifters, I mean. It’s not like they did anything to you.
Can’t you just leave them be?”
“You have to admit, it’s a little freaky,” Sophie said. “I mean, c’mon, they’re shape-shifters!”
“How is that any more freaky than what the rest of us can do? Where’s your compassion?”
Marissa stared at me like I’d grown two heads or something, her catlike eyes narrowed to slits. “Is there something going on with you and this Joshua dude?”
“No, of course not. He’s just a. a friend,” I sputtered. “I barely even know him.”
“Maybe he’d like to get to know you,” Kate said, raising her brows suggestively. “Give Aidan some competition.”
“Actually, that’s not such a bad idea,” Marissa said. “Keep Aidan on his toes, and all that. I just think you could do better than a shifter—”
“I’ll see y’all later,” I said, standing up abruptly and reaching for my tray.
Cece rose too. “Hey, I’ll come with you.”
I couldn’t even meet her eyes. “No, that’s okay. I’ve got. I’m meeting Aidan before fourth period.”
I wasn’t really meeting Aidan, but I had to get away from them — all of them. I’d spend some time in my room before my next class, banging things around till I felt better.
They were all staring at me as I stomped off, but I didn’t care. It was Valentine’s Day, my first Valentine’s Day with a serious boyfriend — or any kind of boyfriend, for that matter. I wanted to enjoy it, to savor it, no matter how weird things were between Aidan and me at the moment.
For today, at least, we were going to act like normal teenagers, doing normal teenage stuff. Exchanging cards. Going to a dance. I’d bought a cute little lavender baby-doll dress over the holidays — one that looked great with black leggings and boots. After dinner I planned to take a long, hot shower, paint my nails, take my time with my makeup — all normal “getting ready for a date” stuff.
Hours later I was doing exactly as I’d planned, primping in front of the mirror. Cece was doing the same.
“Hey, I’m really sorry about what happened at lunch,” she said, turning toward me with an eyelash curler clamped on one eye. “I don’t really like it when they talk that way either. I’ve just never had the guts to say anything about it.”
“It’s okay,” I said with a shrug, trying to decide between plum or brown eye shadow.
“I didn’t even realize you knew any of them.”
“Only Joshua, and just barely,” I said, deciding to go with plum. “But I don’t understand why everyone has to pick on them all the time. It’s not like they can help it.”
“No more than I can help the projecting. I don’t get it either, not really. I guess. I don’t know. There’s always some group that gets picked on, though, isn’t there? Geeks, dorks, Goths, whatever.”
She was right, but that didn’t make it okay. I’d never pick on a Goth, so why would I pick on a shape-shifter?