Page 35 of For Dear Life

Rowan informed me that Marci’s powerful. Did she ask Holly to steal my potion? Involve Holly in witchcraft? I press my lips together. This is the tip of an iceberg smack bang in the middle of the academy—who decided Holly and I should room together?

“Are you okay, Violet?” asks Leif, looking over his shoulder at me. “Marci was pretty bitchy.”

“Bitchy?”

“Rude and unpleasant.”

“Like I am?” I place my phone in a pocket.

“You’re different.”

“Apparently so.”

“Half the time you don’t mean to be rude, you just come across that way.”

“I’ve had this conversation an irritating number of times. I speak my mind. Sometimes that’s rude and I don’t care.” I look around the teen scene presented to me. “Humans are odd in the way they categorize people. Tonight, I feel as if I’m in one of Holly’s shows.”

“Yeah, those aren’t reality, Violet.”

“But some are called ‘reality TV’.” I frown. Now I’m confused. Again.

“The producers pick people as certain personalities and just show what fits that type. Like, if a girl is ‘the bitchy one’, the show only uses footage to create a bitchy character. They won’t show when she’s nice. Clever editing to entertain.”

“How curious and pointless.” I purse my lips. “Still. I’m learning a lot from the shows, reality or not.”

“Such as?”

Marci. I’m vaguely amused by her attempts to upset me. As if mind games from someone as inferior as that girl would bother me.

“They aid me in identifying the social hierarchy. Where do you fit, Leif?” He shrugs. “Well, people like you, and you’re nice, but not too popular. Slightly on the edge. Around the middle level of popularity, maybe?”

He chuckles at me. “And what would I be if I was a character in one of the shows? The ‘nice guy who likes the oblivious girl’?”

Oblivious? “I’m aware what you think of me, Leif. I find it odd that all three of you have romantic and sexual feelings about me.”

“Uh.” His eyes go wide, and he rubs the back of his neck. “Well, I do think you’re cute. I mean pretty.” He stumbles over his words. “Strange. But I like you because you’re so... Violet. Sorry if I make you uncomfortable. Friends is fine too. Or acquaintances.”

“Still, an odd response to me. I’m neither a romantic or sexual person. Although my mother does need three men in her life to satisfy her needs so perhaps that will change.” Leif chokes on his own saliva and his eyes water as he stares at me. “Did you want to ask something? I can tell by your weird look.”

“Uh. This is a weird conversation.”

Hmm. I watch a couple pass, the tall human guy walking with a confident gait, arm around his diminutive girlfriend’s shoulders, hugging her close as if someone might snatch her away. “I’d rather speak about this issue than ignore such things.”

“Right.” Leif blows air into his cheeks and taps on the counter.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” He shakes his head. “That’s a lie.”

“Is it okay if we don’t talk about this? I don’t know what to say.”

“I expect one day I’ll change my mind. As I said, my mother’s a very...” I pull a face. “Physically affectionate person. For now, I have more pressing concerns than considering sexual activity with you or any of the other guys. As do all of you.”

“Tonight has been interesting,” he says swiftly, changing the subject.

“Yes. Very much so. I have new leads.” Subject put to rest? Good. With a smile, I gesture around. “Do you know much about Marci? Or the human guy, Jon? Is he your friend too?”

But Rowan. For a reason I can’t fathom, that comment niggled. Marci and he are or were friends? More?

“I know the guy, but not well. I’ve never spoken to Marci until tonight.” He rubs his forehead. “We didn’t finish bowling, Violet. Is that because Marci made you pissed?”

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