“And Coach Kanner agreed to hold a spot for you. If you can prove you’re doing the work.”

He wanted to punch something. He’d never wanted to hit a girl, much less a teacher, but right now “You don’t have to get an A,” she said evenly. “You just have to pass.”

He gritted his teeth and fought to keep his hands at his sides.

“You can’t do that.”

“Actually, you’re right. I should follow procedure and report you to the principal. Then you could sit in his office, take an exam in front of him, and see how you do. Want to handle it that way?”

Fury had his chest in a vise grip. He ground the word out.

“No.”

Her voice softened. “I’m trying to help you here. I can give you some extra time after class, if you’d like ”

“No, thanks.” He slung the backpack over his shoulder again and turned for the door. “I think you’ve done enough.”

After school, Gabriel stood on the free throw line in the empty gym and shot an easy basket. Twice.

He kept thinking of what Michael had said the other night, about being surrounded by people, yet not having any true friends. The first few weeks of the season were everything. Figuring out positions, how to work as a team. He’d probably miss the first game. The other guys wouldn’t want him walking onto the team late. He sure wouldn’t.

He’d already been to talk to the coach. He’d done that instead of going to lunch what was he going to do, sit by himself? Pretty clear where Nick stood. But then the coach hadn’t been too encouraging.

And the one person who’d offered to help him well, he’d done a pretty good job of chasing her off last night.

He was so f**ked.

The halogen lights buzzed more loudly for an instant, and Gabriel closed his eyes. Breathe.

He wanted to pull the lighter out of his pocket, to spin the flame through his knuckles but getting caught with a lighter could be an automatic suspension. Like he didn’t have enough problems.

Still. He felt like a junkie looking for a fix.

“You all right?”

Gabriel opened his eyes. Hunter stood there, almost directly beneath the basket.

“Dude. You’re starting to freak me out with this showing up out of nowhere.”

“You weren’t at lunch.”

Gabriel shrugged and threw at the basket. It bounced off the rim.

Hunter’s hand shot out to catch it, and he passed it back, lightning quick.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow and bounced the ball against the court. “You play?”

“Nah.” A shrug. But then he dropped his backpack against the wall and put his hands up. Gabriel tossed him the ball, and Hunter sank a basket from the line. “Team sports aren’t really my thing. You know.”

Hunter’s abilities drew other people to him but just because they were drawn to him didn’t mean they were nice about it.

Gabriel knew that from Becca.

He thought about what Hunter had said: You weren’t at lunch.

Maybe Hunter was every bit as lonely as he was.

“I’m avoiding Nick,” he offered.

Hunter caught the ball again and threw it back to Gabriel. “I get it.”

Gabriel caught it and dribbled, each smack of the ball echoing in the gym, then passed it back, hard. “You never told me why you followed me last night.”

Hunter caught it and returned with equal force. “Maybe you’re not the only one who wants to use his powers.”

“You know that was Alan Hulster’s house. He goes to school here.”

“So?”

“So we could have been caught.”

Hunter scoffed. “Please. You don’t give a crap about getting caught.”

“I give a crap about killing people.”

Hunter frowned. “You didn’t start that fire.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything, just tossed the ball at the basket again. It swished through.

Hunter caught it and passed it back. “They were going to leave that girl in there. If she had died, it still wouldn’t have been your fault.”

“Keep your goddamn voice down.” Gabriel cast a glance at the doors, but they were still alone.

“You saved her life! I can’t believe you ”

Gabriel got in his face and hit him in the chest with the ball.

“Leave it.”

Hunter stared at him, and for half a second, Gabriel wondered if he was going to back down, the way Nick or Chris would.

Or if he was going to fight back, the way he had behind the mall.

But then Hunter smiled and took the ball. “You’re afraid.”

“Of you?” Gabriel raised his eyebrows. “Fat chance, you ”

“No.” Hunter backed off, dribbling the ball as he went. “Of yourself. You pick a fight every time someone might figure you out.” He threw the ball at the basket from some distance down the court a solid three-pointer. It went right in. “You think I don’t wonder if I could have saved my dad and my uncle, if I’d been stronger?“

Gabriel didn’t look at him. That vise grip had his chest again, but it was an entirely different feeling from math class. “You didn’t kill them, Hunter.”

“We can talk blame all day. What difference does it make?”

It shouldn’t make a difference. But it did.

Hunter threw another basket. “My dad used to say, ‘If you can’t fix what you did wrong, at least try to make something else right.’”

He was talking about house fires.

But Gabriel thought of Layne.

He fished his cell phone out of his pocket to check the time.

JV basketball practice would still be going on, so she was probably in the school somewhere.

“Got a date?” said Hunter.

“Maybe.” He shoved the phone into his pocket and grabbed his bag.

“That’s it? No comment?”

“No comment.” Gabriel swung around and hit him in the chest. “And I am not afraid.”

“Liar.”

Gabriel made a disgusted sound and turned for the door.

“So, later,” Hunter called. “If there’s a fire you in or out?”

Out. Out, out, out.

Gabriel pressed his forehead against the cold steel of the door and sighed.

“In.”

CHAPTER 14

Layne pulled another yearbook off the stack and sighed.

They’d been in the library for an hour, but there were still another thirty minutes left to Simon’s practice. “This is the dumbest research project ever.”

Kara rolled her eyes without looking up from her notebook.

“You’d probably be happier writing about the history of physics, or Marie Antoinette’s biography, or ”

“You know who Marie Antoinette is? ”

“Shut up.”

“Researching something from the school’s past? That’s just lame. There’s no challenge.”

“God, you are such a nerd.” Kara fished lip gloss out of her purse and dabbed it on. “I don’t know why I hang out with you sometimes.”

Me neither. But if Layne didn’t have Kara, she’d be sitting in the library by herself, waiting for her deaf brother to finish basketball practice for a game the coach wouldn’t even let him play.

God, it just sounded pathetic.

“Layne,” Kara hissed. Her nails bright fuchsia today dug into Layne’s wrist.

Layne snapped her head up. “What?”

Kara was staring at the entrance to the library. One of the Merrick twins had just pushed through the doors and was strolling toward the stacks.

Layne sighed. She wanted it to be Nick.

But she’d sat next to Gabriel in class. She’d seen that faded blue henley clinging to his chest and shoulders four hours ago.

“Great,” she muttered.

“He is insanely hot,” whispered Kara. She dabbed more lip gloss on her mouth, to the point where it started to look a little comical. “How do I look?”

“Don’t even bother. He’s a jerk.”

“Maybe to you.” They watched him disappear between the stacks on the opposite side of the library. “Do you know which one it is?”

“Gabriel. I sit next to him in trig.”

“That’s a waste. You are so lucky. I wish I were better at math.”

“Don’t worry. You’re probably right at his level.” Layne hoped he didn’t notice them sitting here.

Mostly. Some butterflies were kicking up a fit in her stomach, and they were totally in favor of him heading this way.

That was stupid. He hadn’t even looked at her in class.

She had no idea how one boy could inspire such warring emotions, like she wanted to punch the crap out of him but then hide in the circle of his arms.

“You’re all red,” said Kara.

Ugh. Was she? “It’s hot in here.”

“Oh my god.” Kara snorted. “You’ve got a crush on him.”

Layne bent over her notebook again. “Please.”

Kara began to sing. “Layne and Gabriel sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I ”

“Layne?”

God, this could not be happening. Her face bright red, Kara singing that stupid song, and Gabriel Merrick appearing around the corner.

Kara dissolved into giggles. Yeah, this was so hilarious.

Layne couldn’t look at him. She felt like her entire body might burst into flame. She stacked the yearbooks on the table, then shoved her notebook into her backpack.

Gabriel cleared his throat. It sounded like he’d moved closer.

“Can I talk to you?”

This made Kara giggle harder. “Oh. Maybe I should give you two a moment alone.”

“That’d be awesome,” he said absently. “Thanks.”

The giggles stopped like someone had flipped a switch. “Seriously?” said Kara.

Now Layne looked up. Kara was staring at Gabriel, dismayed, like she couldn’t believe he’d want to talk to Layne, when Kara was fully available, boobs perked out and everything.

“Don’t bother,” Layne said.

Gabriel put a hand on her bag, preventing her from slinging it over a shoulder. He was just suddenly there, in her space, close enough to touch.

“You won’t even give me a chance to apologize?”

“Like you’d mean it.” She jerked the bag out from under his hand and started walking. She didn’t even bother to zip it all the way.

“Apologize for what?” called Kara.

Gabriel was right behind her. “Of course I’d mean it. What the hell are you trying to say?”

“Shhh.” Mrs. Beard, the librarian, poked her head out from where she was shelving.

“Sorry,” Layne whispered, hustling for the exit.

Gabriel followed her straight out the doors. “You won’t even hear me out?”

“No.” If she stopped to turn around, he’d see how red her cheeks were. Had he heard Kara’s little chant?

“Why not?” He sounded honestly perplexed.

“Because you’re the kind of guy who apologizes because you’re supposed to, not because you truly give a crap.”

“All right, look.” He caught her arm and spun her around.

She gasped and stared up at him and the dim school hallway seemed to collapse around her. She had to take a step back, and her shoulders ran into a row of lockers.

The hallway was empty. Kara hadn’t followed them.

Just her and Gabriel. She had to stop staring into his eyes or she was going to forgive him for everything, always.

“What?” she demanded.

“I’m not sorry for what I said to your father.”

“Well, you should be.” She bit the words out, and it helped.

“Mentioning condoms? Are you insane?”