Fallen 2. Torment(51)

Francesca clicked off the projector. When she crossed her arms over her chest, the

pink silk sleeves of her peasant blouse bloomed out of her cropped leather jacket. For the

first time, Luce noticed how far away Steven was. He was seated on the windowsill at the

western corner of the room. He had barely said a word in class all day.

"Let's see how well you paid attention," Francesca said, smiling widely at the

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students. "Why don't you break up into pairs and take turns conducting mock interviews."

At the sound of all the other students rising from their chairs, Luce groaned

internally. She'd heard next to nothing of Francesca's lecture and had no idea what the

assignment was.

Also, she knew she was just squatting in the Nephilim program temporarily, but

was it too much to ask for her teachers to remember every once in a while that she wasn't

like the rest of the kids in the class?

Miles tapped her computer screen where he had messaged her: You wanna

partner up? Just then, Shelby appeared.

"I say we do CIA or Doctors Without Borders," Shelby said. She motioned for

Miles to surrender the desk next to Luce. Miles stayed put. "There's no way I'm

fictitiously applying for some lame dental hygienist position."

Luce looked back and forth between Shelby and Miles. Both of them seemed to

feel proprietary about her, something she hadn't realized until now. Truthfully, she

wanted to be partners with Miles--she hadn't seen him since Saturday. She'd kind of been

missing him. In a friendly way. Like in a let's-catch-up-over-a-cup-of-coffee way, more

than a let's-wander-along-the-beach-at-sunset-and-you-can-smile-at-me-with-thoseincredible-blue-eyes way. Because she was with Daniel, she didn't think about other

guys. She definitely didn't start blushing intensely in the middle of class while reminding

herself that she didn't think about other guys.

"Is everything okay over here?" Steven laid his tan palm on Luce's desk and gave

her a big-brown-eyed you-can-tell-me nod.

But Luce was still nervous around him after what he'd said to her and Dawn on

the life raft the other day. Nervous enough that she'd even avoided bringing it up again

with Dawn.

"Everything's great," Shelby responded. She took Luce by the elbow and jerked

her toward the deck, where some of the other students were paired up, already conducting

their mock interviews. "Luce and I were just about to talk resumes."

Francesca appeared behind Steven. "Miles," she said softly, "Jasmine still needs a

partner if you'd like to pull up a desk next to her."

A few desks down, Jasmine said, "Dawn and I couldn't agree on who should play

indie starlet and who should play"--her voice dropped an octave--"casting director. So she

abandoned me for Roland."

Miles looked disappointed. "Casting director," he mumbled. "Finally, I've found

my calling." He headed off to join his partner, and Luce watched him go.

With the situation diffused, Francesca steered Steven back to the front of the

room. But even as he walked beside Francesca, Luce could feel him watching her.

She subtly checked her phone. Callie still hadn't texted her back. This wasn't like

her, and Luce blamed herself. Maybe it would be better for both of them if Luce just kept

her distance. It was only for a little while.

She followed Shelby outside to a seat on the wooden bench built into the curve of

the deck. The sun was bright in the clear sky, but the only part of the deck that wasn't

already packed with students was under the cool shade of a towering redwood. Luce

brushed a layer of dull green needles off the bench and zipped her chunky sweater a little

higher on her neck.

"You were really cool about everything last night," she said in a low voice. "I was

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... freaking out."

"I know," Shelby laughed. "You were all--" She made a trembling zombie face.

"Give me a break. That was rough. My one chance to learn something about my

past, and I totally choked."

"You Southerners and your guilt." Shelby gave a one-shouldered shrug. "You

gotta cut yourself some slack. I'm sure there are plenty more relatives where those two

old geezers came from. Maybe even some who aren't so close to death's door." Before

Luce's face could collapse, Shelby added, "All I'm saying is, if you ever feel up for

tracking down another family member, just say the word. You're growing on me Luce,

it's kinda weird."

"Shelby," Luce whispered suddenly, through clenched teeth. "Don't move."

Beyond the deck, the biggest, most ominous Announcer Luce had ever seen was rippling

in the long shadow cast by an enormous redwood tree.

Slowly, following Luce's eyes, Shelby looked out at the ground. The Announcer