Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

?Shit. I?ll kill him,? Claire offered. Helen tried to laugh at that,

but what came out of her sounded more like a hacking cough.

?Thanks, but no. I don?t want him dead,? Helen said. She shuffled

after Claire to homeroom.

Mr. Hergeshimer asked about her health as soon as he had a

chance to process how wretched she looked. Helen assured him

she was fine, and after studying her face skeptically for a moment

he gave up and went back to harassing Zach about his choice for

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the Word of the Day. Matt asked Helen in a whisper if her stomach

felt better, and then restated his opinion that she should quit track.

?You?re wearing yourself too thin,? he said, sounding an awful lot

like her father.

The rest of the morning went similarly. Every teacher asked if she

needed to go to the nurse, and all of her acquaintances worried

that she wasn?t better yet from her ?fit? during track the other day.

Except for Zach.

?I had no idea you were so fast, Hamilton,? he said as he ran to

catch up to her in the hall.

?Yeah, I?m pretty fast,? she countered, trying to sound

disinterested.

?Right before you collapsed I saw you chasing that shirtless guy

and I realized that I?ve had it backward all these years. See, I always

thought you were the one that like to be chased, you being

such a tease and all,? he said with a faint sneer. ?But it?s hard to believe

any guy could outrun you. I don?t think I?ve ever seen anyone

run that fast.?

?Wait, you told Gretchen?? Helen asked, a sinking feeling in her

stomach. ?I thought it was the other way around.?

?I gotta admit,? he said, taunting her, ?when you want to, you can