Page 59 of The Order

I can feel the honesty in his compliment, and it’s unexpected after how harshly I snapped at him.

“Why do you do that?” I question, turning in my chair to face him, pulling away his paints to get him to focus on me.

“Do what, Little Dove?” he questions. I can’t tell if he’s using the nickname to calm me down or to be condescending, but I’m determined to find out.

“All of it, Fallan. The nickname, this-” I begin, motioning between us, “Why do you act so vile toward me? You act like you hate me, then say something like that?” I question, watching him lean back in his chair as he purses his lips together like he’s trying to stop himself from letting the response fall out of him.

“As if you don’t treat me the same way?” Fallan says, cocking his head at me, relaxing even more.

“I- I don't hate you…. Why would you want me to?” I whisper, gently placing his paints back down. Again, his eyes flash with something I can’t recognize.

“I know you don’t, which makes my life much harder,” he begins, leaning forward in his chair. His face comes within inches of my own, but still doesn’t answer my question.

“If you were smart, you’d change your mind and give in to hating me,” he mutters.

I scrunch my nose anxiously in thought, trying my best to piece together a response to a statement like that.

“There’s nothing to be anxious about,” Fallan begins. I hadn’t realized he’d been watching me so closely. His eyes meet mine again. He taps the end of my nose with his finger. My face fills with warmth at the touch. “You do that when you're anxious. Nothing right now can hurt you,” he whispers, pulling back to his usual position in his desk chair at the sound of Mrs. Auburn entering the room with too many supplies she’s doing a terrible job trying to carry alone.

We both look toward the woman, waiting for her to see us. All she can do is let out a giant sigh of defeat.

“You will not believe the day I’ve had today,” she says, sitting in her chair.

“You're telling me,” I say softly, feeling the tiniest bit of satisfaction at the smile I know is hidden behind Fallan’s canvas.

Rolling my finger over the tip of my nose, I wonder how long I’ve been giving away my anxieties by having them written all over my face. A face that Fallan seems intent on getting to know for all its quirkiness.

Perhaps there’s something more below the surface with him. Maybe something other than hate.

Chapter nineteen

Forest

Theclassroomfilledwithstudents only a few minutes after Mrs. Auburn’s arrival, giving her little time to question just how long Fallan and I were alone. At some point in between silently letting my strokes consume my canvas and looking back at Fallan’s progress, my desk had gravitated a few inches closer to his.

It was enough for Rae to drag my desk back toward her once she sat down, giving Fallan her everyday unamused look of disapproval. I almost swatted her hands away out of annoyance for creating space I didn’t want. Josh is the last to enter the classroom, showcasing a small array of bruises around his nose he hasn’t treated with Cure-All yet. Fallan and I stare at him, watching how his head stays lowered while those around him continue to badger him.

“Is it true you’re the one who did that to him?” Raegan questions, grabbing my hand from its relaxed position under my desk.

She investigates the dry blood still lingering on my knuckles. Between pounding Josh’s face in and letting Fallan soothe me after the run-in with the Officials, I forgot to check my hands.

“I did it all with a smile,” I say confidently, half expecting her to smile along with me.

“I know it's Josh, Forest,” she begins, giving Fallan another sideways glance before returning to me. “But you couldn't save it for one ofhiskind?” she questions, nodding towards Fallan.

I untuck my shirt, showing her my side still coated in his nail marks.

“Courtesy of one of 'our people,'” I growl, throwing up quotations to address her arrogant comment. I can already tell Fallan is watching the exchange, observing the nail marks just as closely as Raegan, now able to get a complete image of how deeply Josh had scratched me.

“Look over here one more time, mutt, and I’ll have an Official on you in seconds,” Rae snaps toward Fallan, watching him lean back in his chair while he throws her an unamused look.

“Raegan,” I start, slamming my hand on her desk, receiving a few glances from those less entranced with their work, Josh included. “Your conversation is with me, not him. Everyone deserves to see what that asshat did,” I say, snapping my eyes toward Josh, who’s scowling at us from his seat.

Raegan’s head shakes. She creates distance between us by pulling her legs farther to the side of her desk. It’s clear she’s annoyed with me.

“If you're going to keep defending them, I suggest you find someone else to talk to for the rest of class,” she whispers, turning her canvas to the side. She faces away from me as she starts to paint again, waiting for me to flag her down with an apology.

“Did one of you turn my cameras?” Mrs. Auburn questions the room, giving me no time to try and think of something to disarm Rae’s less-than-pleasant attitude.

---