Page 43

KEENE

O nly about two books actually hit me, slapping off my lifted arms before my mother immediately called them off. And just like that, they fell limply to the floor in front of us, their covers clapping loudly against each other as they landed in a heap.

I exhaled, relieved nothing had ended in disaster, and I spun to Waverly. “Are you okay?”

Tremors wracked her as she stood there, gaping at the books on the floor that had just tried to kill her. Her eyes were wide and glazed with shock, and all the color had drained from her face.

“Waverly?” I said, going easy so I didn’t startle her while she was in this state. But the moment my fingers barely brushed her elbow, she gasped and wrenched her arm back.

Fear glazed her features as she looked up at me, and I could tell it was me she was frightened of.

“No,” I tried to reassure her. “Don’t freak out. It wasn’t—” But she didn’t stick around to listen to an explanation. This time, when she ran, there was no way I could catch her before she shot past me and sprinted for the stairs.

“Frankie!” I called, knowing I couldn’t just leave things like this. She was scared. She was upset. She could hurt herself.

I started after her, only to trip over all the shit on the floor.

“Pick this up,” I snapped irritably at my mother, only to notice Waverly’s book bag from when she’d set it down.

Snagging the strap, I slung it over my shoulder with my own backpack and leaped over half a dozen books to rush toward the stairs as well.

By the time I reached the front door, I was sure she was going to be gone, but I was relieved to see her across the quad, streaking toward the entrance of the English building.

Picking up my pace, I rushed after her.

But once I stepped inside McDowell Hall, I ground my teeth in irritation. One big, long hall stretched in front of me while most of the students pouring toward the exit were coming down the steps that were set off to the side. She could’ve gone either way.

“Hey,” I asked one of them, catching their arm. “Did you see a girl—about this tall, with dark hair—come through here? Moving fast.”

All I got was a head shake and a brush-off as they moved on. Fuck.

So I rushed to someone else, one of the few people who’d been walking down the freaky, long hallway and not taking the stairs.

This guy snorted. “Oh yeah. I don’t know what she ate for lunch, man, but from the way she hauled ass into the bathroom, I’m gonna say it didn’t sit well.”

“Thanks,” I told him, slugging the side of his arm companionably before marching down the hall to find the door to the women’s bathroom.

There, I waited for the hall to clear out as classes switched and also to make sure no one else exited the restroom without me noticing.

When the coast was clear, I glanced both left and right, then pushed my way inside.

Sniffling behind the last of three stall doors made me stop in front of it and reach out to set my hand against the cool metal surface.

“Waverly?” I said.

There was a sharp inhale, and then an accusing, “Did you seriously follow me into the ladies’ room?”

“Yep. You forgot your book bag at the library.”

I dropped it to the floor.

After a slight pause, she muttered, “Thanks,” and the backpack was jerked abruptly under the door and into the stall with her, disappearing out of sight.

I smiled briefly before exhaling. “Think you could come out here and talk to me?”

“No.”

I groaned. “Come on, Waves. Open the door. I can fix all of this.”

“Go away. In case you’re incapable of reading social cues, the fact that I’m in here right now means I want absolutely nothing to do with you.”

Sighing, I admitted, “Yeah. I got that.” Backing toward the sinks, I leaned against one and crossed my arms moodily. “But you’re upset. And I upset you. So I need to fix it.”

“No. You need to leave. Right now.”

“Can’t. Sorry.” I turned the water in the sink on, then off, then on again to keep myself busy. “Not when you’re hurting like this and thinking a bunch of false shit about me.”

“What the hell are you doing?” she demanded, hearing my water game.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, turning the water off and facing the stall. “Just passing the time until you come out.”

“Oh my God,” she groaned. “Please. Just go away.”

“Oh my God,” I countered. “Please. Just open the door and give me five minutes. I’m telling you, I can make everything better. I swear I can.”

She scoffed. “Why don’t you just blast the doors open with your freaky mind powers if you want in so badly?”

I paused, blinking in surprise before I snorted out a laugh. “Is that what you think happened in the library? You think I did that?”

She sounded less certain when she asked, “Didn’t you?”

“No. Not at all.”

“So the books just flew off the shelves on their own and tried to attack me…right when you were mad?”

“No, of course not. But I didn’t do it.” Pushing away from the sink, I returned to the stall and thumped my forehead against the door. “I can explain what did , though. I can explain everything. Just return to the library with me and?—”

“Oh, you’re insane if you think I’m ever going back there again.”

“Whatever.” I stepped back to lift my eyebrows knowingly. “You have to go back. You work there.”

“I just quit.”

“Waverly—”

“Leave me alone .” Her voice broke. “You made it abundantly clear what you think of me. I don’t know why you’re even here now or care if I’m upset.”

“I care because you’re my friend . So obviously I didn’t make anything clear at all,” I argued. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in here crying right now.”

“I’m not crying,” she sobbed.

I grinned, thinking she was completely adorable until the following sniffle made me remember she was upset because of me.

Sobering, I begged, “Waverly, please.”

“Leave me the fuck alone,” she ground out.

“I can’t,” I told her, actually feeling regretful about that. “I seriously cannot leave you while you’re upset like this. I’m sorry. I just—I can’t do it.”

When she huffed out a sound of disagreement, I threw up my hands, exasperated. “Jesus. This is ridiculous. I’m not talking to you through a fucking bathroom door. If you don’t come out, I’m coming in.”

She remained silent, so I growled, “Fine. Have it your way.”

After filling my cheeks with air, I backed up a step and considered the best way to get in. And it had to be by going under.

With a grimace, I grumbled, “This is so fucking nasty,” under my breath before I got down on the floor on my back and started to shimmy my head and shoulders under the stall door, pushing myself in with my feet.

Waverly screeched in alarm when we made eye contact and she leaped up from the toilet she’d been sitting on to back between it and the wall.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I told you; if you didn’t come out, I’d come in.” When her mouth fell open, I bounced my eyebrows at her. “Is this giving you vibes of that time you sat on my face?”

She blinked, her expression telling me I was insane.

“Right.” I cleared my throat. “Too soon.”

When she looked as if she might start crying again, I paused before murmuring, “It was epic, though. Right? That night.”

Her gaze shot to me in surprise, big brown eyes red with tears but also filled with hope.

Needing her to know how I really felt, I softened my voice even more. “No matter how much your treachery pissed me off, nothing changes that fact. That whole night was fucking epic.”

She didn’t say anything, but I could see on her face that she was ready to at least listen to me now. So I said, “I’m coming in.”

She hissed out her reluctant permission even as she said, “What if I’d actually been going to the bathroom?”

I rolled my eyes as I nudged my shoulders and torso under the door. “Something tells me you would’ve mentioned it before now.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Yeah. Well aware. I’m crawling across the floor of a public bathroom to talk to you. Sane people don’t do that.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because…” Sitting up as soon as I had my upper portion in the stall, I pushed up to my feet and turned to face her, dusting my hands off on my thighs. “I don’t hurt girls. And you’re fucking hurting right now. Don’t let me break my record. At least give me a chance to fix it.”

When I reached for her arm, she gasped and pulled away. “You need to wash your hands before laying a finger on me.”

I snickered in amusement. “If I wash my hands, will you come back to the library with me?”

She scoffed. “I’m not going back inside that library. Not where you can fling more books at me.”

“No worries,” I assured. “I can make that stop. I won’t let a single book hurt you. I promise.”

“So you did do it?”

“No.” I shook my head, knowing I couldn’t explain it. I had to show her the truth. “I’d never attack you like that.”

She furrowed her brow, confused. “Then how can you stop it? Can you control it or not?”

“Fine, I guess, I can control it,” I relented with a tip of my head. “To a point. But not in the way you think. Let me show you. Please. I’ll explain everything, and you’ll finally understand. Okay?”

She bit her lip in indecision, and I could tell the curiosity was eating at her. She did want to understand how the books had floated.

I’m pretty sure she still didn’t want to hear my apology, but at least she wasn’t totally against an explanation anymore.

After mumbling out her own disgust for giving in, she muttered, “Five minutes.”

Relief poured through me. “Thank you,” I breathed, closing my eyes briefly. I spun away and held up my end of the deal by opening the door and heading to the sinks to wash my hands. But also because they were totally gross, and I just wanted them clean.

Waverly stood there, watching with the most bewildered expression, as if she couldn’t believe I would actually do what I said I would.

The door to the bathroom opened while I was rinsing the soap away. Waverly and I turned to see the girl with a backpack thrown over her shoulders halt in the doorway and gape at me before lifting her brows meaningfully in Waverly’s direction.