Illusions
Page 12
“Shar’s still not answering,” Tamani hissed as soon as Mrs. Harms turned her back to write on the whiteboard.
Laurel shot him a concerned look. “Not at all?”
“Not once.” He was practically twitching in his seat. “It could be nothing,” he added, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. “Shar hates his phone. He doesn’t think we should be using human technology; says we always get into trouble when we do. So he’s stubborn enough to not answer it on principle. But it . . . it could mean something’s happened. We’re still on for today, right?”
“Yes,” Laurel said earnestly. “I told my parents and everything. We’re good to go.”
“Great,” he said, sounding more nervous than excited.
“Are we still going to get to see Jamison?” Laurel asked.
Tamani hesitated and Laurel looked questioningly at him. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Shar is really paranoid about opening the gate—especially without warning.”
“We have to see Jamison,” Laurel insisted in a whisper. “That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
Tamani looked at her for a moment with a strange expression on his face that almost made Laurel think he was mad at her. “For you, I guess,” he said darkly, then turned to the front of the room, doodling furiously as Laurel took notes. Laurel tried to catch his eye, but he looked steadfastly away from her. What had she said?
As soon as the bell rang Tamani stood and hurried toward the door without a backward glance. Just as he passed into the hall, Laurel heard a grunt and a scuffle. Craning her neck, she saw David and Tamani standing chest to chest, a couple of books on the floor at their feet.
“Sorry,” David murmured. “Didn’t see you.”
Tamani glared at David for a moment, then he lowered his eyes and mumbled an apology as he retrieved his books and slid out into the hallway.
“What was that?” Laurel asked as she and David fell into step beside each other in the hall.
“It was an accident,” David said. “The bell rang and he came barreling out. I didn’t have time to move.” He hesitated before adding, “He didn’t look happy.”
“He’s mad at me,” Laurel said, watching Tamani’s back disappear into the crowd. “I don’t know why.”
“What happened?”
Laurel explained as they walked to their side-by-side lockers. Being a senior was not without its perks.
“Is it because I’m not that worried about Shar?” she asked.
David hesitated. “It could be,” he admitted. “Don’t you get mad at him when he doesn’t seem worried about me? Or Chelsea?”
“Yeah, but that’s different. You and Chelsea aren’t like Shar. Tamani doesn’t worry about you because you don’t matter to him,” Laurel said, stifling the anger she always felt at Tamani’s general scorn for humans. “I’m not worried about Shar because he is totally capable of taking care of himself. It’s . . . a respect thing.”
“I get that, but if Tamani’s worried,” David said, lowering his voice, “don’t you think maybe you should be too?”
It made sense, and Laurel felt her old grudge melt away—for the moment. “You’re right,” she said. “I should apologize.”
“Well, you’ll have plenty of time this afternoon,” David said in a deceptively light voice.
Laurel laughed, giving a mock gasp. “David, are you jealous?”
“No! Well, I mean, I’d love to spend the afternoon with you, so in that way, yeah, I guess so.” He shrugged. “I just wish I could go.” He paused, then looked at her with transparent innocence. “I could wait in the car.”
“It’s probably not a good idea,” Laurel said softly, thinking about the conversation she’d just had with Tamani. “We’re trying to get into Avalon without advance notice as it is. Bringing you with us would probably just put them on edge.”
“Okay.” David paused again, then leaned his head closer to her and said in a fierce whisper, “I wish I could go through that gate with you.”
Her throat tightened. Avalon was the one thing she could never share with David. And it wasn’t just that the fae would never let him through the gate—Laurel was a little worried about how David would be treated even if he were allowed. “I know,” she whispered, reaching her hands up to touch his cheeks.
“I’ll miss you,” he said.
She laughed. “I’m not leaving yet!”
“Yeah, but you’re going to class. I’ll miss you till it’s over.”
Laurel slapped his shoulder playfully. “You are so sappy.”
“Yeah, but you love me.”
“I do,” Laurel said, folding herself into his arms.
When class let out for the day, Laurel headed straight for the parking lot, knowing how anxious Tamani was. And, admittedly, she was a little curious to see what kind of car he drove. She shouldn’t have been surprised to see a convertible. Tamani said nothing as he unlocked her door and lowered the car’s top.
For the first couple of minutes, Laurel was simply fascinated by the sight of Tamani driving. The novelty of seeing him in distinctly human situations was starting to wear off, but it wasn’t gone yet.
As Tamani pulled onto the highway, Laurel finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Laurel shot him a concerned look. “Not at all?”
“Not once.” He was practically twitching in his seat. “It could be nothing,” he added, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. “Shar hates his phone. He doesn’t think we should be using human technology; says we always get into trouble when we do. So he’s stubborn enough to not answer it on principle. But it . . . it could mean something’s happened. We’re still on for today, right?”
“Yes,” Laurel said earnestly. “I told my parents and everything. We’re good to go.”
“Great,” he said, sounding more nervous than excited.
“Are we still going to get to see Jamison?” Laurel asked.
Tamani hesitated and Laurel looked questioningly at him. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Shar is really paranoid about opening the gate—especially without warning.”
“We have to see Jamison,” Laurel insisted in a whisper. “That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
Tamani looked at her for a moment with a strange expression on his face that almost made Laurel think he was mad at her. “For you, I guess,” he said darkly, then turned to the front of the room, doodling furiously as Laurel took notes. Laurel tried to catch his eye, but he looked steadfastly away from her. What had she said?
As soon as the bell rang Tamani stood and hurried toward the door without a backward glance. Just as he passed into the hall, Laurel heard a grunt and a scuffle. Craning her neck, she saw David and Tamani standing chest to chest, a couple of books on the floor at their feet.
“Sorry,” David murmured. “Didn’t see you.”
Tamani glared at David for a moment, then he lowered his eyes and mumbled an apology as he retrieved his books and slid out into the hallway.
“What was that?” Laurel asked as she and David fell into step beside each other in the hall.
“It was an accident,” David said. “The bell rang and he came barreling out. I didn’t have time to move.” He hesitated before adding, “He didn’t look happy.”
“He’s mad at me,” Laurel said, watching Tamani’s back disappear into the crowd. “I don’t know why.”
“What happened?”
Laurel explained as they walked to their side-by-side lockers. Being a senior was not without its perks.
“Is it because I’m not that worried about Shar?” she asked.
David hesitated. “It could be,” he admitted. “Don’t you get mad at him when he doesn’t seem worried about me? Or Chelsea?”
“Yeah, but that’s different. You and Chelsea aren’t like Shar. Tamani doesn’t worry about you because you don’t matter to him,” Laurel said, stifling the anger she always felt at Tamani’s general scorn for humans. “I’m not worried about Shar because he is totally capable of taking care of himself. It’s . . . a respect thing.”
“I get that, but if Tamani’s worried,” David said, lowering his voice, “don’t you think maybe you should be too?”
It made sense, and Laurel felt her old grudge melt away—for the moment. “You’re right,” she said. “I should apologize.”
“Well, you’ll have plenty of time this afternoon,” David said in a deceptively light voice.
Laurel laughed, giving a mock gasp. “David, are you jealous?”
“No! Well, I mean, I’d love to spend the afternoon with you, so in that way, yeah, I guess so.” He shrugged. “I just wish I could go.” He paused, then looked at her with transparent innocence. “I could wait in the car.”
“It’s probably not a good idea,” Laurel said softly, thinking about the conversation she’d just had with Tamani. “We’re trying to get into Avalon without advance notice as it is. Bringing you with us would probably just put them on edge.”
“Okay.” David paused again, then leaned his head closer to her and said in a fierce whisper, “I wish I could go through that gate with you.”
Her throat tightened. Avalon was the one thing she could never share with David. And it wasn’t just that the fae would never let him through the gate—Laurel was a little worried about how David would be treated even if he were allowed. “I know,” she whispered, reaching her hands up to touch his cheeks.
“I’ll miss you,” he said.
She laughed. “I’m not leaving yet!”
“Yeah, but you’re going to class. I’ll miss you till it’s over.”
Laurel slapped his shoulder playfully. “You are so sappy.”
“Yeah, but you love me.”
“I do,” Laurel said, folding herself into his arms.
When class let out for the day, Laurel headed straight for the parking lot, knowing how anxious Tamani was. And, admittedly, she was a little curious to see what kind of car he drove. She shouldn’t have been surprised to see a convertible. Tamani said nothing as he unlocked her door and lowered the car’s top.
For the first couple of minutes, Laurel was simply fascinated by the sight of Tamani driving. The novelty of seeing him in distinctly human situations was starting to wear off, but it wasn’t gone yet.
As Tamani pulled onto the highway, Laurel finally broke the silence. “I’m sorry,” she said.
