When Stars Come Out (When Stars Come Out 1)

“You don’t think she’s afraid of me?”

Lennon shrugs. “I don’t know, but Natalie isn’t going to fight that way. She’s going to use her connections, a.k.a. her father.”

Right. The headmaster. How is it I always manage to catch the attention of the wrong people? I glance in Natalie’s direction, finding her and Shy a few feet away. I wonder why their faces have to be so close together when they are arguing. I hope Natalie has horrible breath.

After P.E., Lennon and I head back to Emerson Hall and I retrieve my bag from my locker. Before Lennon heads to her dorm, she turns to face me.

“See you tomorrow?”

“If you still want to hang out with me.”

She looks confused. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I’m pretty sure everything I did today will end up on the Roundtable.”

She laughs. “Oh, trust me—something far more interesting will overshadow your incident by tomorrow.”

Her words raise the hair on my arms. That’s a strange thing to say, but I shake the feeling off and manage a smile before Lennon heads inside, leaving me to wait for Mom.

I let my backpack slide from my shoulders, heavy, reminding me of the rule I’d broken earlier. My eyes travel upward, toward the third floor where a limp noose dangles, free of weight—free of the soul I captured. Unease crowds my mind, pricking my scalp.

I’d never worried about capturing souls until I realized there were people who look for answers to their disappearance.

“What are you staring at?”

I find Thane Treadway standing behind me. He is like a dark slash in the bright day.

“I was just...admiring the architecture.” That is believable—most of the buildings on campus are impressive in size and composition.

When I look back at Thane, he is studying the building. I take this moment to examine him. He is tall and thin, and his hair looks messier than it did this morning, like he ran his fingers through it over and over. Maybe it’s a nervous tick.

“You’re Thane Treadway,” I say.

His gaze meets mine and I wish he wouldn’t look at me. It’s not the same feeling I get when Shy looks at me; this is darker, scarier. Like beetles crawling under my skin. I scrunch my nose as Thane pulls out a cigarette and lighter. I’m pretty sure he isn’t allowed to smoke on campus.

“Lennon tell you about me?”

“Only what she knows.” I take a step away from him. His gaze is steady as he brings the cigarette to his lips. Smoke escapes from his mouth in one heavy blast.

“That sounds a little accusatory. You think there’s more than what she’s told you?”

“Well, it’s not like she knows everything about everyone, is it?”

Thane stares, scrutinizing me from head to toe before turning away, and taking another drag from the cigarette.

“Are you sure you should be smoking?”

“Absolutely.”

I frown. Gross.

“Unless, of course, it’s bothering you.”

“You don’t seem like the kind of person who cares about that.”

Thane glances at the cigarette, poised between his thumb and forefinger, and then puts it out

against the school’s white stone, leaving a smear of ash.