Burning by Danielle Rollins

Author:Danielle Rollins
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2016-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

I replay those last few moments with Mateo as Jessica and I sneak back to our dorm. I picture the downward tilt of his mouth and the way his forehead furrowed with disappointment. I think of how every muscle in my body went rigid when he turned off his flashlight.

Haven’t you been paying attention?

It’s true, punishments have gotten harsher. Issie even mentioned that she had more demerits than ever. But so many other things are better—the new equipment and flu shots and SciGirls.

Once again, I picture myself in the SciGirls lab coat, Mateo standing beside me. Shame warms my face. I shake my head, trying to force the fantasy away.

“Stupid,” I say under my breath. This crush is getting out of control. Confusing. In fact, it’s a good thing Mateo found me. Now I can squash this thing once and for all.

Jessica and I turn onto our hallway and relief rushes through me. No Brody, no Mateo. The route to our dorm is all clear. I start forward, but Jessica hesitates.

“What’s wrong?” I whisper. Something flickers at the corner of my eye, and I flinch, whipping around. But there’s nothing there.

“Don’t let them take me away,” Jessica says, her voice barely a whisper. “Promise.”

I swallow. My throat feels cottony dry.

“You mean for your trial?” I ask. “You don’t want to go to prison.”

Jessica shifts her eyes up, considering me. It feels like she can see through my skin, all the way down to the squishy, ugly parts I don’t want anyone to know about.

“Jessica,” I try again. “Where do you think they’re going to take you?”

A footstep echoes down the hall, cutting us off. I pull the door open, ushering Jessica inside.

“How did you get the lock open?” I ask as I push the door closed behind us. The hall outside our door is empty but I still shiver, imagining Brody stepping out of the shadows. I hold the doorknob still until I’m sure it’s closed. Only then do I release the latch.

“I didn’t,” Jessica whispers. She creeps across the room and slips into her bunk, pulling the scratchy blanket up to her chin.

“What do you mean you didn’t?”

“It’s always unlocked,” she says. I frown. That’s impossible. The doors lock automatically.

“It morning already?” Issie murmurs, rolling over on the top bunk. The bunk bed’s metal frame shifts as she moves. The sound makes me cringe.

“It’s still nighttime, Is,” I say, crawling into bed. “Go to sleep.”

“I was asleep.” She yawns. Loudly. “Tell me a story.”

“It’s too late for that.” I punch my pillow and fold it in half, but it’s still too thin. I groan and shove my arm beneath the pillow to prop it up.

“Please? Tell the story of us.”

I sigh and drop my head onto the flat, lumpy pillow. Moonlight reflects off Jessica’s black eyes. She hugs the teddy bear to her chest.

“It’s not a story,” I say. “It’s what’s going to happen.”

My eyes droop, already heavy with sleep. When I open them again, Jessica’s no longer holding her teddy bear.

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