Predestined (Existence Trilogy #2)(28)
“Speaking of hotness, here comes your last drool-worthy boyfriend,” Miranda whispered.
Not what I wanted to hear or deal with right now. Peering over my shoulder I watched as Leif spoke to those who passed him until he’d managed to work his way to me. It was so easy to pretend he was normal. Closing my locker door I turned around to face him.
“Leif,” I muttered. It was the best I could do.
He apparently found this response amusing because his grin only grew bigger. “Pagan, it’s good to see you too.”
Haha. Wasn’t he a riot?
“What do you need?” I asked a little too brusquely because Miranda elbowed me hard.
“Well, I was wondering about the tutoring. I mean, now that I’m back I need to keep up my grade and you know I can’t do it without your help.”
Whatever. There was no way a voodoo spirit was dyslexic. Did he think I was an idiot?
“Ah, well, when you left I filled your spot. But I’m sure there are other tutors available if you feel you really need one.” I’d tried my best to get my point across without Miranda picking up on anything.
“But you were so helpful. I doubt anyone else will be able to help me the way you did.” He was enjoying this. The gleam in his eyes said he was thoroughly enjoying every minute. I wanted to push him away and head to class but that would only cause drama and attention I didn’t want. So instead I pulled my book bag up higher on my shoulder and stepped around him without another word. I heard Miranda apologizing for my behavior which was just ridiculous but she didn’t know that.
“What’s wrong with you? I mean, I know he broke up with you but you have Dank now. Why hold a grudge?” Miranda asked after she caught up with me.
I opened my mouth to respond when the ringing of her cell phone interrupted me.
Miranda rummaged through her bag in a hurry to find it before a teacher heard it.
“You know you should turn that thing off at school. You’re going to get it confiscated again,” I chided her.
She pulled it out of her bag and flashed me an annoyed glance before answering.
“Hello.”
“Why? What’s going on at the field?”
Miranda grabbed my arm to stop me. Her face looked puzzled. “We need to go down to the field. Not sure why but that was Krissy Lots and she said I needed to get down to the football field immediately then she hung up. There were sirens in the background.”
“Sirens?” My interest had just gone from curiosity to alarm.
“You two need to come with me, now,” Gee appeared in front of me and I really hoped I just hadn’t noticed her walking up. Appearing out of nowhere would freak people out.
“We have to go to the football field,” I explained, as Miranda ignored her and pushed past the other students
“I know you do,” Gee replied without one ounce of her normally snarky attitude. Instead, she sounded worried. That could only mean... ohgod.
I didn’t stand there and wait for an explanation. Instead, I took off after Miranda and we reached the door leading down to the football field at the same time. We ran the entire way toward a field that was now swarming with people and two ambulances. There was only one person we both knew that went to the field every morning to run. Wyatt.
Chapter Eleven
I was numb. Standing there as paramedics worked tirelessly over Wyatt’s unresponsive body I couldn’t seem to move. Miranda’s sobbing and begging for Wyatt to wake up seemed so far away. Nothing felt real. Almost as if I were having an out of body experience. Other than my grandmother, I’d never experienced losing someone I loved. Surely he wasn’t going to die. Wouldn’t Dank have warned me? Didn’t he know these things beforehand?
As if he heard his name in my thoughts he appeared, standing like a beautiful dark angel, behind the paramedic that was bent over Wyatt and administering CPR. They were getting the defibrillator ready to shock his heart. Nothing else had worked.
Dank’s eyes met mine and I could see the sorrow there in those blue depths. This couldn’t mean what I thought it did. He’d just come to reassure me, hadn’t he? Wyatt was too young to just drop dead. He was my friend. Not just any friend but one I’d had my whole life or as long as I could remember. We’d had hotdog eating contests and raced dirt bikes. Wyatt had been the one to teach me to ride a skateboard and I’d been the one to bait his hook with chicken liver when we went fishing. He hated the stuff. Made him queasy. He was a part of my life and I didn’t want to let him go. Didn’t Dank see that?
“Wyatt, please baby, please, open your eyes for me,” Miranda sobbed brokenly as they placed the two paddles on his chest the same way I’d seen them do to people on Grey’s Anatomy. Wyatt’s chest rose and fell in a quick jerk as they all seemed to be hovering over him begging him to respond. But nothing. I watched them do it again and with the same results. Nothing was happening. Then I watched as Wyatt’s soul lifted from his body and went directly to Dank. Wyatt never looked back as a transporter I’d never met stepped forward and in an instant they were gone. Wyatt was gone.
The horror of what I’d just witnessed felt like a knife in my chest. He’d taken Wyatt from me. How could he take someone from me so easily? Miranda crumpled to the ground as the paramedics stated the time of death as 8:02. I couldn’t bring myself to see if Dank was still here watching as our world fell apart. Instead, I walked over to Miranda and joined her on the dewymorning grass. Wrapping my arms around her body I let myself give into the pain.