Page 15

15

G EMMA DROPPED INTO A SEAT beside me in the cafeteria, pouting at her phone as she did so. Her backpack slid from her shoulders with a thump. Despite her colorful outfit—a mixture of yellows and oranges today—her demeanor screamed disappointment.

I could relate. Except the colorful outfit part. I’d been sticking to my hoodie and gloves for days.

“What’s wrong?” I asked when she made a pointed sigh and set her phone down next to her tray.

Kaci and Mateo settled in across from us. My pulse raced when Mateo uttered a quiet “hello” as he slid onto the stool. I still couldn’t believe that Mateo now sat with me at lunch. Even if it was under threat from his brothers, I’d take it. I needed all the good at this point.

“The second video hasn’t garnered as many views.” Gemma opened the tab on her can of soda and took a long gulp. “I don’t get it. It’s edited cleanly. I used all the same tags so it could be easily found. But it’s not gaining traction.” Her shoulders slumped. “It’s not even close to viral. I wouldn’t even classify it as an infection.”

Ew. Gross. I did not appreciate that comparison. But Gemma’s pouty face wasn’t something I wanted to deal with. “Maybe because it’s not firsthand video,” I said with a shrug. The video was missing that “oh shit” moment of disbelief and awe that the first one had. It was literally a video of me in a clairvoyant state on the floor of a coffee shop, then telling Gemma what I saw, and then an account from Val of the car accident. Her story had matched the vision, and then Gemma had filmed the back of the boyfriend’s car.

“But it’s eyewitness accounts.”

“There’s no drama,” Reese said, dropping beside Kaci. “The basketball video was suspenseful, you know? There was that knife’s-edge moment of whether Cam’s prediction was right or not. This second one was kind of dull.” He pointed his fork at Gemma. “It lacked spark. No offense, Cam.”

“None taken.”

“Full offense,” Gemma muttered under her breath.

Reese was not wrong, though. The response to the second video was less intense than to the first.

I had made the decision to post the second glimpse knowing it would draw attention my way. That didn’t mean I would revel in it. It was mostly just to defy my parents and, well, attempt to lean into this whole psychic thing and embrace my true self. Whatever that was. I was still trying to figure that out.

Also, Gemma had mentioned perks. If I was going to have terrifying glimpses of murder, then I wanted the perks, thank you very much.

“Did you at least ask permission this time?” Kaci asked.

Gemma huffed, then shoved her finger into my arm. “He literally told me to do it.”

“I’ve chosen to go with it,” I said with a shrug. “I am welcoming my potential as a member of the paranormal community, as a possible clairvoyant who has glimpses of the future that happen to be accurate.”

“That sounds unexpectedly mature.” The side of Mateo’s mouth lifted in a smile. “For you.”

Teasing! I would never get over the fact that Mateo was secretly witty and surprisingly playful. “Well, what can I say? I’ve grown,” I said, straightening from my slouch dramatically.

Mateo snorted in amusement.

“So you just need one more documented correct glimpse?” Reese asked.

I nodded. “Yeah. Just one more.”

He took a bite of his salad and chewed thoughtfully as ranch dressing dripped out the side of his mouth. “How are you going to do it?”

And that was a good question. All my glimpses thus far had been accidents. Someone had touched me in the hallway in the middle of the fight. Dennis had shaken my hand. Val had tried to stop me from making an even bigger mess in the coffee shop. If I was going to do this, if I was really going to be a verified clairvoyant, I wanted to be in control. I wanted to be purposeful about it. I wanted to be the one to initiate the process.

“Cam?” Kaci gently prodded me.

“I want another glimpse,” I said quietly, my hands shaking in the pocket of my hoodie. “I’m clairvoyant.” And wow, that was weird to proclaim with utmost certainty. Thus far I’d only said it in response to probing questions from others. I’d not really said it of my own volition. But I was clairvoyant. I had seen the future at least twice. I licked my lips and raised my head to meet all their probing gazes. “I want to see if I’m for real. If I’m verified.”

Gemma’s eyes were huge under her glasses. “I’m so excited,” she said in an awed voice.

Reese hummed, then stuck out his hand, palm up on the table. “Do me.”

I choked on air. “What?”

He wiggled his fingers and his eyebrows. “Come on. Let’s do this. Gemma can take a video, and we can get this last one done. Then bam, certified fresh prophet.”

“I prefer ‘clairvoyant,’?” I said as I stared at Reese’s pale hand; my brow was furrowed.

“You don’t have do it right now, Cam.” Mateo frowned at Reese over Kaci’s head. “Reese should know that ordering someone to perform on demand is rude.”

Reese smirked like he knew he’d touched a nerve. “Of course Cam doesn’t have to do anything. I’m offering. As a new friend. Unless you are up for a little glimpse of your future, Lopez.”

Mateo scowled. The tips of elongated canines pressed against his bottom lip. He hid his hands in his lap.

“I thought so,” Reese said with a nod. “Kaci?”

Kaci startled out of a daze, her gaze snapping away from where it had drifted toward Dennis, as she focused back on our group. “Oh no,” she said with a shake of her head, strands of her hair falling in her face. “Cam would see the ghosts. I don’t think he’s ready for that.”

She was absolutely correct. I might be ready to declare myself a psychic, but I was not ready to see ghosts. “Thanks for being considerate.”

She smiled brightly. “No problem.”

“Fine. Gemma?” Reese prodded.

“Ah, no thank you.” She held up her phone. “Not interested. Observer only.”

Reese puffed out his chest. “And there you have it. I’m the only one at the table who is ready to help. Unless Al is joining us today?”

A sharp pain twinged my ribs. “No. Al won’t be joining us. Today or for the foreseeable future.”

Mateo’s frown deepened, but he didn’t comment.

“?‘Foreseeable future,’ huh? That’s an interesting turn of phrase.” Gemma cocked her head to the side, her rainbow earrings swinging. “Can Cam see his own future? That’s something we’ll have to investigate.”

Ick. Suddenly I was with Mateo, uninterested in hypothetically witnessing my own future. I held up my gloved hands. “Okay. So this has dipped into not-fun territory. I do want to finish up the magic three that I need, but not in front of half the student body again. And while I appreciate the enthusiasm and consideration on all your parts, give me a second to think.”

Kaci tapped her fingertips along the edge of her plastic tray. “Cam, if you don’t want to—”

“I want to.” I was so close to validating myself. I pulled on the cuffs of my hoodie sleeves and flexed my fingers in my gloves. But what if whatever I glimpsed didn’t come true? Would all my new potential friends leave like Al? What if it did ? Would there be more gifts? More attention? “I guess I should wait until we have a safe place. Away from prying eyes, and where Gemma can get good video.”

Mateo heaved a sigh. “We could use the honors science lab.” He muttered it under his breath, reluctant but ever helpful. He looked at me, and I flushed, thinking about our private lunch the previous week.

Reese raised an eyebrow. “You can get us into the swanky lab?”

“Don’t you know?” Kaci said, squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin. “Mateo is in all honors classes.”

Reese huffed. “Nerd.”

“Anyway,” Gemma said, leaning forward in excitement, “like, now?”

They all looked to me. I swallowed. “Yeah. Now.”

“Sweet!” Gemma pumped a fist. “Let’s go.” She jumped to her feet, opened the top of her backpack, and dumped her entire lunch inside. Luckily it was all packaged, because otherwise the inside of her unicorn bedazzled bag would’ve actually looked like the theoretical inside of a unicorn.

I stuffed my still-wrapped cheeseburger into my hoodie pocket, along with a bag of chips. “Let’s go.”

We made a weird duckling line of students as we headed out of the cafeteria. Luckily, no one challenged us, and I was one-hundred-percent sure it was because Mateo was the head of our procession. He was an honors student and not known for causing trouble or even being in the wrong place at the wrong time, unlike his older brothers.

He led us to the lab. It was locked, but Mateo fished around in his own bag and pulled out a set of keys.

“I’m the only student with keys. If we make a mess…” He trailed off.

“We won’t. I promise.” I nodded toward Reese. “Right?”

“Yeah. Right.” A flush worked up the column of his throat and into his face. “I promise.”

Mateo let us in. We spread out in the large space. I sat at the same table as Reese and Gemma. Mateo and Kaci sat a few tables over. I quickly shoved my cheeseburger in my mouth, because as previous interludes had shown me, I was usually squeamish after a glimpse. So I ate my burger and a few chips, took one long swig of my soda, and then rolled my shoulders.

“Okay.”

Reese held out his hand over the tabletop.

“Ask Cam a question about your next class, Reese,” Gemma said as she swiveled her phone at the pair of us. “Maybe Cam will get a glimpse of the end of the school day.”

I didn’t know if that was how it all worked. But it couldn’t hurt. And I wanted to find out. I did want to know the rules of this ability, because maybe it would help me find the girl or find her murderer.

“Okay. Is Ms. Shachti going to collect the homework that I didn’t do?”

“Really?” Mateo asked, unimpressed.

Reese shrugged. “What? I didn’t have time for homework because of cross-country practice. And some of us aren’t honors students.”

Mateo huffed from his table.

“You know what—I usually fall when I do this. Can we?” I gestured to the floor.

After a small readjustment, where Reese and I sat cross-legged on the cool tile, I took a breath, removed a glove, and then grasped Reese’s hand. His skin was unusually cool against mine.

And that was all I registered before the lights around me winked out. I was in the dark. I was hunched over, my cheek pressed into my outstretched arm. Oh! I was asleep. Or Reese was. He was snoozing, but he was definitely in a class, because his feet were tangled in the basket beneath his desk.

“Reese!”

A sharp prod to my shoulder blade followed.

I roused slightly, my eyes still firmly closed. “What?” I said, the word jumbled in my mouth.

“Wake up! We have a pop quiz.”

I groaned and sat up. The flutter of papers being passed down the row was the only sound in the otherwise silent room. I took the stack from the girl in front of me, anxiety making my stomach swoop, and took a page. I turned to hand it off to the person who’d poked me.

I looked down at the sheet and grumbled as I jiggled my leg under my desk with nervous energy. At least I could write my name. I wished for a spiritual or paranormal intervention, because looking through the questions, I could honestly say I knew the answer to only two of them. I circled the correct letter choices for those two, and then I flipped the page. My heart sank as the questions continued.

The high-pitched squeal of the fire alarm pierced through the room. I jumped in surprise, my pen scratching across the page and leaving a long mark. Looking up from the quiz, I saw the light above the door flashing in bursts of bright white. Saved by the literal bell! I checked the clock on the wall. Two fifteen. I inwardly cheered that the alarm would probably take the rest of the school day.

“Leave your belongings,” Ms. Shachti yelled as my classmates and I stood. Most of us didn’t listen, and we grabbed our bags as we shuffled out of the room, and—whoa, there was actual smoke in the hallway. This wasn’t a drill.

Panic slammed through me as I saw the source. A fire in the chemistry lab right next door. The teacher wielded a fire extinguisher while students rushed out. A few fellow sprites ran in to help, including my friend Faye, who was a lake sprite. Another was a girl who could manipulate fire. I desperately hoped they wouldn’t ask me to use my powers. I quickly turned away and joined the line of fleeing students. And then I was surrounded on all sides by a squeezing darkness.

I’d learned that coming to from a psychic interlude was never going to be a dignified experience. When I blinked and found myself in the honors lab, I was once again lying on the floor.

“Cam? You there?” Mateo asked from my side.

I squinted into the bright light overhead. “Yeah.” I pushed my fingers into my hair and brushed my bangs from my forehead. I was a little woozy, but at least I didn’t feel like I had to vomit. “What happened?”

“You glimpsed,” Gemma said, her phone trained on me. “And when it was done, you slumped over. Good thing Mateo caught you before you brained yourself on the leg of the lab table.”

Mateo had caught me? And oh, that was his hand cradling the back of my head. Embarrassing. I quickly pushed to my elbows, and Mateo continued to support me, his firm touch moving to between my shoulder blades until I was in a sitting position. But once I was upright, he didn’t move away from my side.

“What did you see?” Reese asked.

I knew I was unusually wan and bleary-eyed after interludes. I’d seen the video. But Reese was unnaturally sallow as well.

“Wait! Don’t say anything!” Gemma swiveled the phone to Reese. “We don’t want anyone to think you’re influenced by what Cam says. So leave the room.”

“What?” Reese said, crossing his arms. “I don’t get to know my own future?”

“No!” Gemma shooed Reese away with her non-phone hand. “Kaci, can you go with him and confirm that he doesn’t hear anything?”

Kaci gathered her things and stood from her stool. “Okay.”

Reese frowned but picked up his trash from his lunch and followed Kaci out, looking over his shoulder as he closed the door behind him.

Gemma focused her camera back on me. “Okay, Cam, what did you see?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “A fire alarm will sound at two fifteen because of a fire in the chemistry lab. Reese isn’t involved. He does have a pop quiz in his class that’s interrupted because the school evacuates.”

“That’s amazing!”

I cast a withering glare at Gemma, who amended quickly, “I mean, I hope everyone is okay.”

“I don’t think anyone was injured. I didn’t see anything that would indicate otherwise.”

“Then I stick with my original sentiment. That’s amazing!” Gemma ended the video and shoved her phone into her pocket. “Do you know where the chemistry lab is? I’ll use my yearbook staff privileges to get out of my own fourth block so I can be there when it happens.”

“Uh… it’s next to Reese’s last block class.”

“Great! I’ll get it all on video and edit it tonight. And it’ll be ready to post on your command.”

“If the fire happens,” I said. “It might not.”

Gemma snorted. “If? Cam, be serious. You’re already verified two for two. That’s better than any other would-be clairvoyant has done in fifty years. If you ask me, it’s a lock.”

I gulped. “Fifty years?”

“Oh yeah. I’d be surprised if minutes after it posts, you don’t have more gifts and the faction leaders breathing down your neck for meet and greets. It’s going to be awesome ,” she said, making jazz hands. Her glittery fingernail polish gave the action quite the effect, as did her excited giggles.

“Yay,” I replied, deadpan. “Awesome.”

“Okay. I’m going now. Talk to you later!”

Gemma left in a tornado of orange and yellow, leaving me on the floor with Mateo right by my side. He wasn’t touching me, but he was warm and solid, and if I wasn’t already lightheaded, I totally would be just from his presence alone.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice low.

I sighed. “Yeah. It’s just”—I waved my hand helplessly—“all overwhelming.”

“I get that.”

“You do? How? You grew up a werewolf. You’re basically entrenched in paranormal society. You are the paranormal. None of this is new to you.”

Mateo bowed his head, but his lips twitched into a grin. “Just because I’m a werewolf doesn’t mean I don’t understand what it’s like to be under pressure from family and friends and other outside forces.”

“Really? I find that difficult to believe.”

“Try being the youngest in an extended family of werewolves, with two exceptional older brothers and several older cousins. And well, I have a hard time with…” He trailed off. “I know you’ve noticed.” He vaguely waved at his ears.

“I have noticed,” I said. I took a breath. “It’s endearing.”

His grin softened into a smile. Then he cleared his throat. “My parents are supportive, but… they can be overbearing with wanting certain achievements.”

“Yeah, well, at least they’re attentive. My parents would rather have me hide the one thing that might make me special.” At the thought of our conversation the previous day, anger and hurt welled inside me, burning into my throat and behind my eyes. “I get being cautious and timid around all this stuff. But they could’ve at least made sure I was okay . That I had what I needed. But instead they looked at me like I was a stranger. Like a faery had come into the house and switched out their human kid for a psychic one. At least your parents can’t be as awful as that.”

“It’s not a contest, Cam.”

I winced. Yikes. “You’re right! I’m sorry! You were commiserating and trying to be helpful, and I made it weird. Sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m sorry that happened with your parents.”

I rolled my shoulders and stood from my awkward sprawl on the floor. “It’s… well, it’s not okay. But I will learn to deal. Or they will. Something will happen.”

Mateo stood as well. He fiddled with the strap of his backpack, which was on the lab table. “I talk with Kaci about our respective powers a lot. Gemma was right, you know. We’re all in the same situation.”

“I believe Gemma called us a murder of crows.”

Mateo chuckled, a low sound that made my middle flutter like a hundred butterflies.

I cleared my throat. “But yeah. We are. Birds of a feather and all that.”

“Your parents…,” Mateo started hesitantly. “They’re not pleased you’re a seer?”

I let out a loud burst of obnoxious laughter. “The opposite. The very much opposite. Like, so much the opposite, it’s the difference between the Mariana Trench and Mount Everest.”

“Do you have anyone to talk to about it?”

I shoved my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie. “Ah. No. My older brother, Aiden… left. And Al and I, we’re not really talking right now. I’m honestly not quite sure why.”

“Well, if you ever need to talk, you can reach out.”

“I don’t have your number.”

Mateo took his phone from his bag, his fingers sliding over the screen. Then my phone pinged in my pocket.

“Now you do.”

“Wait, how did you have mine?”

A blush seeped into Mateo’s cheeks. “Kaci gave it to me.”

“Oh. Right.” I took my phone from my pocket. Sure enough, there was a text from an unsaved number. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to use it.”

“You’re welcome. And please do. If you need to.”

This was awkward. But it was sweet. And having Mateo’s number and permission to use it was almost worth all the other things going on. Almost. “Wait, is this a ploy to entice me to ally with the werewolves?”

“Maybe,” Mateo said with a playful grin. “Or maybe it’s a genuine overture of friendship.”

“I like that second option better.”

“Then that’s what it is.”

I ducked my head as I felt my own blush burn my cheeks. The bell rang, interrupting us, which was probably for the best since I couldn’t stop smiling.

At exactly two fifteen, the fire alarm blared through the school.

I exchanged a glance with Mateo, then packed up my sketchbook and the rest of my belongings and headed outside with the student body. My palms were slick with sweat as I tugged on my gloves. I was three for three. If I’d had any doubt before, it was sufficiently erased.

I was a verified seer. A true clairvoyant. An oracle. A prophet. A… soothsayer, if I wanted to go vintage. All those things. Holy shit.

I was stunned. I could actually see glimpses of the future. For real. Like, how amazing was that? Though that meant there was no way to avoid the fact that I wasn’t just part of the paranormal community, I was the paranormal. And a small shiver of fear worked its way down my spine. Not only because of my parents, but because of the apparent importance of my role.

And that meant my very first glimpse was real . And I still had yet to find the girl or her murderer. And I had no leads, and no help.

I took a shuddering breath.

The blaring sirens of the incoming fire trucks were loud enough to make me wince. I noticed Mateo tugging on his earlobe, his expression tight, until the trucks were parked and silent.

“Three for three,” I said, once the alarms shut off.

Mateo’s grimace eased, and he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. The weight of his touch was welcome and grounding over the thick fabric of my jacket. “It’ll be okay.”

“I hope.”

Kaci bounded over to us. She’d located us quickly in the crowd that was hanging out in the bus loop. We’d managed to find a small clump of shade under a spindly tree.

“Mateo texted me what would happen,” she said, leaning in conspiratorially, “so I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Ah. Did he tell you it wasn’t a drill?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

I squinted toward the exit, where students continued to walk out. “I hope Gemma left and didn’t hang around to gather more video evidence.”

“She seems smart,” Kaci said. “I’m sure she evacuated.”

I arched an eyebrow. “She is smart, but I’ve noticed she has a tendency to hyperfixate on certain things.”

I spied Reese with a shimmer of sprites who were encouraging a row of small shrubs to grow. He looked over to us, his green eyes glowing in the sun, and offered a quick wave but didn’t come to join us.

“What’s the deal between you and Reese?” I asked Mateo. It seemed a safe question, since Kaci was basically a Lopez in everything but name and Gemma was nowhere to be seen.

Mateo huffed. “It’s not a me-and-him thing.”

“It’s a sprite-and-werewolf thing?”

“Sort of.”

“Mateo’s beautiful cousin Juana used to live in New Amsterdam with her family,” Kaci said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “And while she was there, she fell in love with a gorgeous garden sprite named Mia.”

“And?”

Mateo sighed. “And Mia requested permission to propose to Juana. The werewolves said yes, but the sprites refused. And gave Mia an ultimatum.”

My mouth went dry. “Let me guess—leave Juana or leave the Alliance?”

“Yes,” Mateo confirmed.

My eyes went wide. “That’s the beef between the Lopez family and the local chapter of the Sprite Alliance? A star-crossed-lovers story?”

“It’s not just a story. Juana was crushed,” Mateo said, hands clenched in the straps of his backpack, the blunt nails of his fingers sharpening into claws. “She even left to study abroad. And she’s only just come home.”

“Like when Jane left for London after Mr. Bingley’s rejection.”

Mateo shot me a dark look.

I held up my hands. “I’m just trying to make it relatable. But I get it. I’m sorry.”

“Juana is Mateo’s favorite cousin.” Kaci leaned close to me as if imparting a secret. “He loves her. Probably more than he loves Danny and Javi, but don’t tell them I said that.”

I would never tire of seeing Mateo blush. “I missed her. A lot,” he said. “I’m happy she’s come to stay with us now that she’s finished traveling.”

“Well, okay, but what does that have to do with Reese?”

“Oh, his dad is second-in-command of the New Amsterdam Suburb chapter of the Sprite Alliance,” Kaci said. “He made the decision to turn Mia’s proposal down.”

“Ah. Okay. Family tensions. Got it.”

Kaci glanced toward the crowd, then quickly turned away. I followed her line of sight and caught Dennis glaring at us.

I nudged Kaci with my elbow. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Ghost.” Leaning in, she dropped her voice. “She follows him, and she always looks so angry.” She brushed her long hair over her shoulder. “And so does he.”

“Aren’t most ghosts angry?” I waved my hand. “You know—at, like, being dead.”

Kaci shook her head. “No. That’s a harmful stereotype.”

“Ah. Okay. I stand corrected.”

She smiled slightly. “Good.”

I glanced back at Dennis. He met my gaze, then turned abruptly and pushed his way through the growing crowd.

Mateo stood on his tiptoes and surveyed the area. The number of students leaving the building had dwindled, and teachers walked through the groups, counting their students and checking off names on the rolls.

“Do you see Gemma?” I asked.

Mateo frowned. “No. I don’t.”

“Okay. Well. I don’t feel great about this. So let’s split up and find her. I want to make sure she’s okay.”

“Kaci and I will search the bus loop,” Mateo said.

“I’ll go check the other exits. Maybe she went out another way. Text me if you see her.”

Kaci nodded as she and Mateo went in opposite directions into the crowd.

As much as I didn’t want to go looking for trouble, I’d feel horrible if Gemma were somehow hurt trying to film my recent correct glimpse. Yes, she was annoying and loud and colorful and the opposite of everything I would have chosen in a friend, but as much as it pained me to think so, she was my partner in crime… er… clairvoyance. And if Mateo and Kaci could extend their friendship to me, I could do the same to Gemma.

Besides, she was my anchor in the world of the paranormal.

And if I was going to fulfill the role of verified clairvoyant, I needed her.

I rolled my shoulders, tucked my gloved hands into my pockets, and, discreetly as possible, broke off from the main group of chatting students and ducked around the side of the school.