Page 38 of Grave Matter

“Let’s go,” I say to Lauren, immediately getting to my feet and leaving the room. “Class dismissed.”

“What if she comes back?” she asks, though she’s right behind me. The rest of the class decides to do the same, branching out as we step outside.

“Then they’ll know where to find us,” I tell her. “It’s not like we can go far.”

“Want to go skip rocks on the beach?” Munawar asks.

“What are we, twelve?” Rav laughs.

“Sounds good to me,” I say. Anything to be out of that lab, to be away from Dr. Wu’s breakdown and Clayton’s fucking weird-ass vibes.

We take the path to the left and follow it through the bushes and down the rough dirt slope until we’re at the beach. I sit on a log beside Lauren, watching Rav and Munawar try to skip stones, both of them failing. The rocks sink with aplunk.

“How’s your head?” Lauren asks.

“It’s fine,” I tell her. “Just sore to touch.”

She leans in closer, a sly look in her eyes. “Rav said the two of you looked very close. You and Professor Kincaid. You know, when you fell.”

I roll my eyes. “He was just worried about me.”

“Uh-huh,” she says. “I don’t think you see what I see.”

“Apparently not,” I say. I bite my lip to keep from asking what it is. But it doesn’t work. “What do you see?”

She plays with the zipper on her UVIC hoodie. “Oh, just that he’s always looking at you. Staring at you. Even when you’re not looking.Especiallywhen you’re not looking.”

My heart skips a beat, and I hate it for that. “Really? I haven’t noticed. He’s always got that intense look, you know?”

“Yes. You’re the reason for that look. He sure as hell doesn’t look like that when I’m talking to him.”

I look down at my nails. “He said I’m fascinating,” I confess, feeling a little embarrassed. “Though I’m not sure I should repeat what he says during our sessions.”

“Baby, you tell Lauren everything,” she says, giving my sore shoulder a squeeze.

“Ow!” I cry out, enough that Rav and Munawar stop skipping stones.

“What? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she says. “Are you okay?”

I nod, the truth on the tip of my tongue. The need to confide is overwhelming.

“They gave me a tetanus and rabies shot yesterday,” I whisper. “On that arm. It’s still really sore.”

Rav and Munawar have stopped in front of us, flat stones in their palms.

“For hitting your head?” Rav asks, a brow raised quizzically.

“No.” I take in a deep breath. “I’m going to tell you something, and you’re going to think I’m crazy, just as Kincaid and Everly did, but you’re my friends, I think.”

“I’ll still give you this shirt off my back,” Munawar says, lifting up the hem with his free hand.

“We’re your friends,” Lauren says imploringly as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ears, her green eyes serious. “You can tell us.”

I glance at Rav and Munawar, and they nod. I know Kincaid didn’t want me to say anything, but what’s the harm if he doesn’t believe me anyway?

“Please don’t, you know, stop talking to me if you think I’m full of shit,” I say to them. “I don’t think I could handle that, not in a place like this.”

“We promise,” Munawar says.

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