Page 5 of See You in Your Dreams

All three of them stare at me like I’m insane, and I hold up my hands, chuckling. “Point taken. An overabundance of cute cat pics, coming right up.”

“The iceman cometh,” Robbie says solemnly.

The what?Even Cat seems at a loss to explain Robbie’s latest non sequitur until he points down the steps. We all turn to follow his finger.

By now, there’s a steady tide of students streaming past us up the steps. I recognize pretty much all of them, at least in passing. We might not be friends, but we’ve been going to the same high school for three years now, and Banton’s not that big of a place. The kid Robbie pointed at, though, is entirely unfamiliar to me.

He’s tall and lanky, with styled black hair, angular good looks, and green eyes so bright that they almost seem to glow. Dressed all in black, with his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket and his back hunched, an obvious air of broodiness rolls off him in waves.

There’s no denying he’s attractive, but that’s not what quickens my pulse or keeps my gaze glued to him. Maybe it’s a consequence of my current mood, but I get the uncanny sense that he knows what it means to hurt—that life’s been just as hard on him as it has on me, if not worse.

“Who’s the new guy?” Cat asks, her eyes tracking him as he approaches.

“No idea,” Alexis replies. “This is the first I’ve seen of him.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it at church,” Cat says. “Those peopleloveto gossip.”

“Only because they care about the community,” Alexis huffs.

I tune them both out, my attention entirely focused on the new guy. Just as he reaches the bottom step of the stairs, he looks up, his eyes locking onto mine.

I forget to breathe as we stare at each other for a long, stretched-out moment. Then, he scowls and looks away, breaking the spell. He quickens his pace, taking the steps two at a time.

Alexis stands as he passes by where we’re sitting, smiling and holding out her hand. “Hi. I don’t think we’ve met. I’m…” She trails off as he brushes past her without a word.

Cat glares after his retreating back as he vanishes through the doors into the school. “Wow, what an ass. Guess God used up all that guy’s points on hotness and ran out before He got to personality.”

“God made all of us exactly as He intended,” Alexis says by rote, blinking after the new guy. “Though, that doesn’t mean it’s not still on us to make the most of what He’s given us.”

Cat snorts. “I think that’s about the harshest thing I’ve ever heard you say about someone, Lex. Careful, or you’ll need to ask for forgiveness.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to keep the shadows at bay,” Robbie says.

I glance at him, but his expression is inscrutable as ever. Still, I don’t think he was talking about Alexis. He must’ve seen the same darkness in the new guy I did—the same hurt. It’s only when Cat waves a hand in front of my face that I realize I’ve been staring at the school doors for entirely too long.

Cat quirks an amused brow. “Are you suddenly interested in the rest of the student body, or did one in particular catch your eye? I didn’t know broody assholes were your type.”

I fight down a blush. “They’re not. I just…um…can’t believe he ignored Alexis like that. What a jerk.”

“Bet he could smell the loser on us,” Cat says. The warning bell buzzes, and she stands, stretching and grabbing her bag. The rest of us follow suit.

“You need to be kinder to yourself,” Alexis says. “Besides, I bet he’s just having a rough day. We shouldn’t be too quick to judge others, just like we shouldn’t be too quick to judge ourselves.”

“Yeah, well, tell that to Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Broody,” Cat huffs.

As we join the throng of students breaking off toward their first period classes, I try to force thoughts of the new guy out of my head. Cat’s right—he might be handsome, but I have enough on my plate as it is. The last thing I need is to pile on more, and if there’s one thing I can be certain of after watching his entrance, that new guy isdefinitelytrouble.

three

Ash

My first day ofschool is exactly as terrible as I’d imagined. I’m not sure which I hate more—everyone gawking at the new kid, or the overly peppy students like that girl outside who pretend to give a damn about becoming my friend. I’ve been around enough people like that to know when I’m being treated like a charity case.

Thanks, but no thanks.

At least, the classes themselves don’t seem too bad. Even my AP classes feel like a joke compared to the swanky private school the Ellingtons had sent me to. It’s perfect. I can sleepwalk my way to graduation, then get the hell out of here and never look back.

The next couple days pass in a blur. Go to school, ignore everyone but the teachers, go home, ignore my aunt, go to sleep. Then, wake up and do it all over again.