Page 24 of Wicked Dreams

Curiosity gets the better of me. I tighten my grip on the strap of my bag and go up. And up and up and up.

Finally, the stairs end at an open doorway. I step through, only a little surprised to find an empty classroom. The blackboard on a stand—not attached to the curved wall—has been wiped clean, and a small collection of desks face it.

I go to the window and look out. This one faces the second of the two front towers. Another window shows the front lawn and beyond, the houses speckled between the mature trees, the curving roads barely visible. In the far, far distance is New York City. The skyscrapers are just little sharp lines against the horizon.

“Contemplating jumping?”

I whirl around.

Caleb leans in the doorway, his arms crossed.

“What are you doing up here?” I ask.

He smirks. “I saw you trying to dodge us. Didn’t expect you to come up here, though…”

His perfect lips quirk as he waits for my reply. His stare is too intense, and I find myself pivoting slightly to face the window again.

Off to the left is where I used to live… in the house behind his.

“Funny how things change,” he murmurs, suddenly right behind me.

I stiffen, bracing for his touch. It comes a second later, his fingers brushing my nape as he moves my hair over one shoulder. A chill travels down my spine, goosebumps rising in reaction.

“What changed?” I grip the windowsill; I’m going to lose my balance if I don’t. My knees don’t seem steady around him, no matter what I do.

He leans in. Down. His lips coast against the top of my ear. “Everything except you.”

My heart squeezes. I close my eyes, but it doesn’t matter. He leaves me standing there with my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

Chapter 5

Margo

“I’m so sorry I missed this morning.” Riley grips both my hands. “I overslept, and then my brother needed a ride, and my mom had to call and get permission for me to come in at second period. Are you mad?”

We are just inside the library doors. I’m late to lunch, but Riley was waiting for me in the hallway. After Caleb left, I took a minute to sort my mind and then hurried down.

But I don’t know why I would be mad at her.

“Mad? Why?” I ask.

“For leaving you to fend for yourself.” She makes a face, her lips twisting. “Was it not as bad as I assumed? Your dad—er, Robert—brought you in early, right? The courtyard can be vicious, and I worried.”

I nod and keep my expression light. No need to further concern her. “We came in early and switched around my schedule a bit. I’m taking a painting class of his now. But other than that, it was fine.”

She makes a noise in the back of her throat. Disbelief? But before I can ask, she continues, “Painting sounds like a cool elective, but I don’t know anyone in that class. Maybe you’ll meet a cute, emotional artistic boy who will take you out for coffee with paint on his fingers. His idea of romance will be asking if he can paint you like one of his French girls?—”

“Fat chance of that.” I snort. “Have you noticed no one will talk to me? I’m invisible unless Caleb draws attention.”

My invisibility doesn’t bother me. I like that I can stand outside my first period class, and no one sends pointed glares. I like that the whispers that followed me around for the first week have abated.

“Still,” Riley murmurs. “I feel guilty. No way around that.”

“I’m fine,” I reassure her. “I can handle Caleb.”

We take our lunch to our chairs and spread out our options. We’ve gotten used to trading items, because Riley’s dad likes her to be healthy, and Robert hasn’t figured out my favorites yet.

Lenora and I went grocery shopping on Sunday, which was an adventure in and of itself. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a fancy grocery store until that moment. Organic was the name of the game, even if I couldn’t figure outwhy. Like, what made these apples any different from those? Except for paying two dollars more… She let me pick whatever I would want to have in the house: breakfast and snacks for school, lunch and dinner options.

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