If I Die
Page 56
Nothing. Sorry. Im just stressed about Beck and I didnt get much sleep last night.
Em looked unconvinced. Maybe you should go home for a nap, she suggested. Im sure Nash could talk them into letting you check out. Every now and then his Influence actually came in handy.
I dont have time for a nap. Im fine.
What do you mean, you dont have time?
Crap. Get it together, Kaylee. Are you seriously going to see Mr. Beck after school today? I asked, and for a second, she looked thrown by the change of subject.
Then Emma nodded. If youre done bossing me around.
I exhaled, long and slow, then met her gaze. Em, Im just trying to protect you. But if the threat of pregnancy, infertility and death isnt enough to give you second thoughts about playing baitI guess I can understand that.
My dad had been trying to protect me from the Netherworld ever since hed come back from Ireland, and Id sidestepped every effort hed made, because my own safetyhell, my own lifedidnt seem worth protecting if I wasnt willing to risk it for something important. If Em felt the same, who was I to stand in her way?
But Im sure as hell not going to leave you alone with him. She had no resistance to his lascivious charm, and her intentions would melt into memory once he unleashed the onslaught of lust she wasnt prepared to resist, no matter how hard she dug her heels into the dirt. In fact, he may already have started. Was that why she was insisting on playing bait? To stay close to him? So I dont have time for a nap.
Thanks. Em looked relieved, in spite of her bravado. You three arent the only ones pissed off about what he did to Danica, and I may not be able to cross into the Netherworld or make people do whatever I say, but I do know a thing or two about fending off wandering hands. But I do have one question before I totally commit to this, my first supersecret spy mission, Em said, her eyes sparkling with good humor. Did we ever find out for sure about the possible forked penis?
I stared at the clock for most of last period, waiting for the hands to move, but they seemed sluggish at best, and by the time class ended, Id had as much French as I could take. When the bell finally rang, Emma stood so fast her chair skidded on the floor and she was in the hall before the ringing echo faded from my ears. She was definitely eager to get to Mr. Becks room, and her unbridled enthusiasm made me very, very nervous. I tried to follow her, but Mrs. Brown stepped in front of me before I made it to the end of the aisle.
Miss Cavanaugh, this is the second day in a row you havent had your homework.
I know.Im sorry. I glanced into the hall and could just see Emmas blond ponytail bouncing out of sight. Can we talk about this later? Im kind of in a hurry.
We can talk about this now. Mrs. Brown reached for the door like shed close it, trapping me. You know I have a zero-tolerance policy for missing assignments, and I dont think youve missed one all year until this week. Is something wrong, Kaylee?
No, everythings great. Really. Itll never happen again, but I have to go now. Im late forsomething. Mrs. Brown called my name, but I was already out the door, clutching the shoulder strap of my bag, forcing my way against the flow of traffic toward the parking lot. I dodged every familiar face for fear of another delay, and when the hall finally cleared, I jogged left around the cornerjust as Mr. Beck pulled his door closed.
Crap. Id hoped to beat him there, so I could hide in the storage closet and keep an eye on Emma. The plan felt a little juvenile, but Nash and Sabine knew where we were, just in case something went wrong.
But now the door was closed, and I couldnt get in without being seen. Unless
I set my bag on the floor in the hall and dug my phone from my pocket to text Tod.
@ SCHOOL. NEED UR HELP
Tod always answered instantly, probably because unless he was reaping a soul or actually delivering a pizza, he had nothing else to do. But this time, when Emma needed us both, he was out of reach.
I stood on my toes to peek through the window in Becks classroom door just in time to see him gesture toward the rolling chair behind his desk. Emma smiled up at him, then sat, and he pushed the chair forward. Then he leaned over her shoulder, pointing at something in the textbook open on his desk.
I wanted to vomit. He hadnt done anything overtly evil, but just being alone in a closed classroom with a female student was borderline inappropriate, and out of character, based on what Farrah had told us about his determination to maintain the appearance of propriety.
Beck was getting desperate. He was rushing things. And based on the stoned-out-of-her-mind expression on Emmas faceshe was watching him, not the bookshe was falling for it. Falling for him. Even knowing what hed done to Danica and Farrah, and countless other girls our age.
Beck looked up, and I ducked beneath the window, heart pounding, fingers crossed that he hadnt seen me. The hallway was empty, but it probably wouldnt be for long, and Tod still hadnt responded. Sabine and Nash were in the quad, waiting for word from me. Not that they could help. I needed to borrow reaper abilities, and in the absence of those, my own were the next best thing.
But that wasnt saying much.
Em looked unconvinced. Maybe you should go home for a nap, she suggested. Im sure Nash could talk them into letting you check out. Every now and then his Influence actually came in handy.
I dont have time for a nap. Im fine.
What do you mean, you dont have time?
Crap. Get it together, Kaylee. Are you seriously going to see Mr. Beck after school today? I asked, and for a second, she looked thrown by the change of subject.
Then Emma nodded. If youre done bossing me around.
I exhaled, long and slow, then met her gaze. Em, Im just trying to protect you. But if the threat of pregnancy, infertility and death isnt enough to give you second thoughts about playing baitI guess I can understand that.
My dad had been trying to protect me from the Netherworld ever since hed come back from Ireland, and Id sidestepped every effort hed made, because my own safetyhell, my own lifedidnt seem worth protecting if I wasnt willing to risk it for something important. If Em felt the same, who was I to stand in her way?
But Im sure as hell not going to leave you alone with him. She had no resistance to his lascivious charm, and her intentions would melt into memory once he unleashed the onslaught of lust she wasnt prepared to resist, no matter how hard she dug her heels into the dirt. In fact, he may already have started. Was that why she was insisting on playing bait? To stay close to him? So I dont have time for a nap.
Thanks. Em looked relieved, in spite of her bravado. You three arent the only ones pissed off about what he did to Danica, and I may not be able to cross into the Netherworld or make people do whatever I say, but I do know a thing or two about fending off wandering hands. But I do have one question before I totally commit to this, my first supersecret spy mission, Em said, her eyes sparkling with good humor. Did we ever find out for sure about the possible forked penis?
I stared at the clock for most of last period, waiting for the hands to move, but they seemed sluggish at best, and by the time class ended, Id had as much French as I could take. When the bell finally rang, Emma stood so fast her chair skidded on the floor and she was in the hall before the ringing echo faded from my ears. She was definitely eager to get to Mr. Becks room, and her unbridled enthusiasm made me very, very nervous. I tried to follow her, but Mrs. Brown stepped in front of me before I made it to the end of the aisle.
Miss Cavanaugh, this is the second day in a row you havent had your homework.
I know.Im sorry. I glanced into the hall and could just see Emmas blond ponytail bouncing out of sight. Can we talk about this later? Im kind of in a hurry.
We can talk about this now. Mrs. Brown reached for the door like shed close it, trapping me. You know I have a zero-tolerance policy for missing assignments, and I dont think youve missed one all year until this week. Is something wrong, Kaylee?
No, everythings great. Really. Itll never happen again, but I have to go now. Im late forsomething. Mrs. Brown called my name, but I was already out the door, clutching the shoulder strap of my bag, forcing my way against the flow of traffic toward the parking lot. I dodged every familiar face for fear of another delay, and when the hall finally cleared, I jogged left around the cornerjust as Mr. Beck pulled his door closed.
Crap. Id hoped to beat him there, so I could hide in the storage closet and keep an eye on Emma. The plan felt a little juvenile, but Nash and Sabine knew where we were, just in case something went wrong.
But now the door was closed, and I couldnt get in without being seen. Unless
I set my bag on the floor in the hall and dug my phone from my pocket to text Tod.
@ SCHOOL. NEED UR HELP
Tod always answered instantly, probably because unless he was reaping a soul or actually delivering a pizza, he had nothing else to do. But this time, when Emma needed us both, he was out of reach.
I stood on my toes to peek through the window in Becks classroom door just in time to see him gesture toward the rolling chair behind his desk. Emma smiled up at him, then sat, and he pushed the chair forward. Then he leaned over her shoulder, pointing at something in the textbook open on his desk.
I wanted to vomit. He hadnt done anything overtly evil, but just being alone in a closed classroom with a female student was borderline inappropriate, and out of character, based on what Farrah had told us about his determination to maintain the appearance of propriety.
Beck was getting desperate. He was rushing things. And based on the stoned-out-of-her-mind expression on Emmas faceshe was watching him, not the bookshe was falling for it. Falling for him. Even knowing what hed done to Danica and Farrah, and countless other girls our age.
Beck looked up, and I ducked beneath the window, heart pounding, fingers crossed that he hadnt seen me. The hallway was empty, but it probably wouldnt be for long, and Tod still hadnt responded. Sabine and Nash were in the quad, waiting for word from me. Not that they could help. I needed to borrow reaper abilities, and in the absence of those, my own were the next best thing.
But that wasnt saying much.
