“Let's see. ” I frowned thoughtfully. “History is boring--already knew that. Some classes are a joke--nice surprise. Even normal people are strange--figured that one out already. No vicious creatures I needed to subdue with a Taser--always a plus. Yup, high school's pretty cool in my book. ” And it was. I even got to go to art class. The teacher made me model in front of the whole class for life drawing, which was alm
ost scarier than facing that room full of vamps. At least I knew what the vamps were thinking.
We pulled out of the parking lot and I saw a sign on the corner advising students to buy their prom packages. “You guys haven't had your prom yet?”
“Oh. No, I guess not. ” Lend fidgeted in his seat and was quiet.
Oh, crap--he probably thought I was hinting that I wanted him to ask me, and now he felt awkward because he didn't want to. We made it halfway home in perfect silence, our awesome day ruined. Brilliant move, Evie.
“So,” he said, finally speaking up. “Do you--I mean, it's kind of lame, but do you want to go to the prom? With me?”
“Seriously?”
He shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road. “You don't have to, I just thought maybe you'd--”
“Yes! I'd love to! Absolutely! I mean, it'd be kind of fun, right?” I could have melted ice, my smile was so bright. Lend's face broke into a smile, too, which made me realize how nervous he had looked before. No wonder he'd been so quiet!
“Cool. It'll be fun. ”
The afternoon passed quickly. Every time I thought about the prom, a sort of giddy sense of unreality descended on me. Surely this couldn't be my life. It was too amazing. I was going to the prom--my prom--with Lend.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
GIRLS, CRYING, WOLVES
Dinner was a little uncomfortable. I hadn't been to an actual family dinner in years. Sometimes in the Center Raquel or Charlotte ate with me; when they didn't I took my food into Central Processing, but it wasn't like Lish could exactly sit down at a table with me.
No crying at the dinner table. No thinking about Lish.
Stacey and Luke sat on the opposite end of the table, and every time I glanced up, Stacey was darting looks at me that hovered between terrified and furious. I could barely even make eye contact with either one of them, not now that I knew what would have happened if they had been caught by IPCA.
David was on the phone in the other room all through dinner, but when we were nearly done eating he came in, and sat down heavily in his chair, a relieved and weary smile on his face. He turned toward me.
“We did it. ”
“Did what?” I asked.
“I didn't want to say anything until everyone was safe, but your Canada tip was enough. I have an old friend who's a CPM, Canadian Paranormal Monitor. They always maintained a degree of separation from IPCA because they were uncomfortable with an international organization having rights to their citizens. He'd been tracking IPCA activity, and with your info he found all the werewolves. ”
I sat back in my chair. “All of them? And they got the trackers off?”
David nodded happily. Stacey's eyes had gone wide; I couldn't read her expression.
“Where are they going to go?” They couldn't go back to their old lives--IPCA had records on all of them. They'd be retagged in no time.
“Some of them are going to be folded in as CPMs, hidden right under IPCA's nose. Another busload just arrived in town so we can get them new identities and then help them settle somewhere. ”
“Here?” Stacey whispered. “What about--”
The doorbell rang. Stacey turned toward the entry, her face as white as a sheet.
Lend, puzzled, got up to answer the door. After a few seconds he came back in. With Charlotte.
“Charlotte!” I said, shocked. Stacey stood up and burst into tears, throwing her arms around Charlotte's neck.
“I'm so sorry!” Stacey sobbed, burying her face in Charlotte's shoulder. “I never should have said those things--never should have--I'm sorry. ”
Tears spilled down my former tutor's face, too, and she pulled Stacey in closer and stroked her hair. “It's okay. Really, it's okay. I'm sorry, too. ”