Page 43 of Switching Graves

“Where are you headed next?” he asks, his voice chipper.

“I’m meeting a couple of friends in the quad. I’ve got an hour before my next class.”

“I have some time to kill before mine, too. Care if I walk with you?”

I agree, mostly because it would be awkward to say no, and then end up going in the same direction anyway. Hayes seems nice enough. He keeps the conversation surface level, asking about my day and how I’m settling into the school. I don't get a chance to ask him the same before we walk up to a waiting Beatrix. She smiles and fawns over him, shouting about howmuch she’s missed him this summer. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that they know each other, given how small the classes are. There’s a man I haven’t met before standing beside her.

“I’m Jonah, by the way,” the guy finally says, with a pointed sneer directed toward Beatrix when it’s clear she won’t be introducing him.

“Oh yeah, that’s my little brother. He doesn’t want to go away, so we’re stuck with him,” she says dismissively.

Jonah’s thick brows pull together in a scowl, his nose scrunching in a way reminiscent of Beatrix.

Come to think of it, their faces are nearly identical. Her features just seem to have a feminine delicacy that he lacks. He’s a good eight inches taller than her, with a muscular stature that suggests he was involved in sports or something active. Alternatively, Beatrix looks like a strong wind could pick her up and take her away. That, and her hair is blue.

“I didn’t realize you two knew each other,” she says to me and Hayes, her eyes darting between us suspiciously, as if she’s trying to gauge our supposed relationship.

“He’s the TA in my psych class. The one with Dr. Whitlock,” I explain in a tone that tells her not to get any ideas and make it weird.

“No way,” Beatrix’s mouth pops open, a large, teasing smile spreading across her lips as she asks Hayes, “Who did you piss off to getthatposition?”

“It’s not that bad,” Hayes goes to say, but I quickly cut him off.

“He ended class early today in a tantrum,” I remind him, tilting my head.

It’s absolutelythatbad.

“I told you, he’s childishly temperamental,” Beatrix shouts, stabbing her finger in the air at me. “He would do that all the time when I had him in my intro psych class.”

Hayes shushes her, glancing at the people seated around us. “He’s still my boss, Bea.”

She rolls her lips inward, casting a sheepish smile in my direction.

“He does have a bit of a temper,” I agree carefully, turning toward Hayes. “I have no idea how you work for him.”

Just the thought of his lack of consideration makes my cheeks burn. I’ve never encountered someone so blatantly rude.

It seems to have been a blessing to not get into his open assistant position.

“Yeah, he definitely does. But being his assistant looks amazing on my resume. He’s got connections all over the country, and people respect him. A year or two of dealing with him is worth what it’ll get me in the future.”

Jonah raises his brows and nods, as if to saythat’s fair.

“Which makes absolutely no sense to me,” Beatrix mumbles, quieter this time.

“He’s not too bad when he’s in a good mood.” Hayes shrugs. His gaze catches back on mine and he smirks.

“I’ll be glad to be out of that class,” I scoff.

Hayes pushes his bottom lip out in a dramatic pout. “Boo. Then you’ll be rid of me.”

Ava saves me from the incredibly awkward and flirty comment by running up to us, her backpack halfway open and hanging off one shoulder.

“Sorry, sorry. I got caught up in Anchoring and Shielding. Kaylee Chronvale had me locked up for thirty-three minutes after I failed to block her. She’s too powerful for her own good.”

“Locked up?” I ask, forgetting all about Hayes.

Ava nods. “It’s a course about manipulating time. If you can’t shield, you can be paused.” She shakes her head, waving it off dismissively. “It’s a whole thing I’d have to explain. Basically, I was frozen. Now, I’ll be thrown off all day after losing those minutes.”

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