would he see her again?
Elijah sighed. You know the bad feeling I got when you followed that girl last week? Well, I’ve got a worse feeling about these two. But yeah, I know where you’re going with this. She’s the one from the visions.
We’ve had visions of her? Where was I? Because day-um. It’s official, Caleb said. I’m hot.
Aden rolled his eyes.
“Aden,” Dan called. “I’m drowning in my own sweat. I said let’s go.”
There was still no sign of them in the trees. No hint of that black dress or a lock of hair blowing in the wind. Where had they gone? Why had they gone?
“Aden! Last chance before I leave without you.”
Though he wanted to stay, he forced himself to trudge to the truck, contenting himself with the knowledge that she would return. One day, they would kiss. Elijah had predicted her arrival, after all, and that had come true. The kiss would, as well. Aden’s lips lifted in a grin.
“What?” Dan asked him.
“Just excited,” he said, and it was the truth.
“About shopping? What a g-girl,” Shannon muttered.
He didn’t care. Nothing was going to ruin his good mood today.
They made the twenty-five minute drive to Tri City in silence. Aden used every second to try and piece together what had happened. Since the girl, his girl, and the boy were indeed real, truly here, that meant the girl had come to him while he’d been sick. She’d cared for him. Had wanted to talk to him, have him answer some questions.
She’d wanted to know how he … What had she said? Summoned her people? His brow furrowed. What people? He had summoned no one.
And what about the boy? Were they siblings? The two had looked nothing alike, but that didn’t mean anything. Were they only friends? Or were they together together? His hands fisted. Okay. Something could ruin his good mood.
Honey bear, I can feel how hard your brain is working, Eve said. You’re giving us a headache.
“I’m—” He barely stopped himself from apologizing out loud.
When Dan idled to a stop in front of the local supercenter, his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “You’ve got an hour, boys. Buy some clothes, some school supplies, but do not leave the building. I’m trusting you. If you’re not waiting for me when I return, bags in your hands, you’re out of the ranch. That’s the end. No excuses. Understand?”
Aden didn’t meet his gaze. He hadn’t been able to do so since that night in the field when he’d learned about Ms. Killerman.
“Understand?”
“Y-yeah,” Shannon mumbled as Aden said, “Yes.”
Dan handed them each a fifty-dollar bill. “All’s I’ve got. I hope you can make it work.”
“Th-thanks.” Shannon climbed out.
“Aden,” Dan said, stopping Aden when he tried to do the same. “Just so you know, you’re not going to class on Monday.”
His eyes widened. “What? Why?”
“Don’t worry. You’re going to the school, but you’ve got to do the placement tests before you can actually go to class. You’ll have results within an hour of turning in your work—computers are a wonderful thing—so we’ll know if you even qualify. Shannon took his last week, but you were too sick. I think you’ll pass, hence the shopping today so you’re all ready come Tuesday.”
He nodded, relieved that he still had a chance to attend public school but mad that it wasn’t already a done deal as he’d supposed. When he stepped onto the curb and shut the door behind him, he looked around. The place was packed but there was no sign of Shannon.
Would it have killed him to wait for you? Caleb griped.
As he shopped, his friends telling him what clothes would look good on him, he spotted the dreg a few times. Shannon flipped through the racks and pretended not to notice him.
“Like I wanted to spend time with you,” he muttered.
“Time with who?” someone asked.
He glanced up and saw that an older woman stood beside him. She had too-bright red hair that was sprayed in what looked to be a beehive. She wore a short-sleeved dress that was far too big. Her face, arms and legs seemed to … sparkle, as if she’d bathed in glitter. Weird.
That, he could deal with, though. It was the zaps of electricity seeming to pour off her, causing the fine hairs on his body to rise, that freaked him out. How was she doing that?
“No one,” he said, stepping away to increase the distance between them. He didn’t trust strangers. Even strangers who seemed as well-meaning as this one.
“Oh, posh. Something’s bothering you, and I’d love to hear what it is. I haven’t spoken to anyone in ages. Frankly, at this point I think I’d listen to a discussion about the mating habits of ants.”
Was she serious? “Lady, you’re creeping me out.”
There’s nothing wrong with honesty, Caleb said with a laugh.
A couple walking by glanced over at him as if he were insane. Okay, maybe there was something wrong with honesty.
“I’m sorry you’re creeped out,” the old woman said, and then continued her inane chatter. Not about ants, but about her son, his wife, their kids, and how she hadn’t gotten to tell them goodbye before they’d moved away from her. “Maybe you could, I don’t know, tell them goodbye for me.”
“I don’t even know them.”
“Haven’t you been listening? I’ve been telling you all about them!” And she proceeded to do so again.
After a while, Aden did his best to tune her out.
You’ll need notebooks, binders, pencils and folders, Julian said when the clothing total reached thirty-five dollars and eighty-three cents. With tax. Eve kept track of the money. No one was better with numbers.
“How do you know what I need?” he asked Julian, glancing around to make sure no one was paying him any attention. The old lady didn’t pause in her patter.
A memory, I guess.
He’d often suspected the souls had lived before being paired with him. Every so often, they remembered things that had happened to them, things that couldn’t have happened to them while they were inside Aden’s body.
Aden left the men’s section with four shirts and a pair of pants, and headed toward the supplies. Of course, the woman trailed after him. Still talking. He would have liked a new pair of tennis shoes, but his boots would have to do. Easier to hide weapons that way.
After he gathered everything and paid,
