Page 136 of Shadowface

Dr. Garcia clips onto the stage as the lights dim and a large brooding shadow that smells like too much cologne slides in beside me. I nearly choke on it.

“Hey, Summer,” Grant says, and I turn to face him and give him the same weak smile I always give him.

“Hey,” I say dryly, hoping he’d find a new girl to sit with. He’s bounced around the last few weeks, but it seems I am his latest conquest.

He throws his arm around my neck, forcing me to lean into him. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Mikael faces us now, as if he could sense another man’s hands on me. His eyes penetrate me, and I can’t look away from him, either. The pull between us is too strong, and I remember his vivid threats—his promise of violence—the night of the rave when Grant’s hands were on every square inch of my body.

“What is it?” I ask him.

“I want to take you to dinner.”

I whip my head to him, and he’s staring at me so innocently. “What?”

“You know…dinner. A date.”

Dani nudges me. “I think you should go.”

The lights in the hall darken and his arm squeezes my shoulder, and goosebumps prickle my skin.

“Think about it, Summer,” he whispers. “I know a good Italian place in town.”

“Good afternoon, class.” Dr. Garcia’s shrill voice fills the room. “Welcome to mid-semester.” Hushed murmurs flow across the room.

“Why are the lights off?” Dani whispers from beside me.

“I have no idea,” I tell her, trying to put some distance between me and Grant.

Dani looks unimpressed, especially now that she knows Dr. Garcia’s connection to her father. “Ugh. This class is so creepy.”

I can’t argue with her about that.

This class may seem ordinary to others, but I am aware of the hidden secrets of the faculty and how they truly test their theories.

“We’ve talked a lot this semester about fear,” Dr. Garcia says, and a light finally shines down on her and only her. She looks unearthly and, for the first time, I don’t see her as this magnificent mind, but an old lady…one who bleeds just like the rest of us. She’s the only consistent thread through all of this.

“Halloween’s tomorrow,” she says, and my skin goes clammy. “A day where many want to believe in things that make no scientific sense. Ghosts, ghouls, goblins…monsters. But we don’t need to look that far to find the real monsters that should keep us up at night. Monsters that live among us. Today, I want to talk about psychopathy.”

She raises her eyes and again it’s like she looks right at me. “In your textbooks, you will find a framework that outlines a diagnostic tool for various mental health disorders. This is called the DSM-5-TR, an internationally accepted manual of common psychological disorders and their corresponding treatment. Each of you will choose one disorder and identify a person, fictional or real, that you think has this disorder.”

Someone yells, “What about that missing chick who was found in the woods and can’t talk? What kind of disorder is that?”

A few people laugh.

Dr. Garcia’s eyes shimmer with a knowing glint, almost as if she takes pride in Lincoln’s handiwork. “Ah, the essence of what I wish to delve into. What could have caused that girl to become mute? What kind of experience led her to lose her sanity? Consider using yourselves as the focal point for your assignment. After all, everyone harbors a hidden monster within. I expect it to be completed by Monday. Lincoln will assess them next week and, of course, is always available during office hours for further discussion.”

The lights in the room brighten. I swiftly reach for my phone and notice a waiting message. My heart tightens as I read its contents.

SF: It’s still me, Summer. I love you, pretty girl. See you tomorrow.

Like fuck…

When Mikael or Lincoln, or whoever it is, walks past, my lips open. His stare triggers memories of how he acted in the office. The sex I simultaneously loathed and loved, and at least until the ReBirth Ceremony date passes, I can’t let him touch me again.

I turn to face Grant as he gathers his things. “Hey Grant, wait!”

Grant turns and peers down at me, his soft curls hanging over his face. Aware of Mikael’s gaze, I tiptoe closer and kiss him. Grant places his hands on the small of my back, and despite everyone watching, he kisses me back.