Jael didn’t see Brianna the rest of the day. It took her and Shadow almost an hour to get back to school and by then class was in full swing, the halls were empty, and Mr. Townsend spotted them and sent them to the office for tardy slips.
She lingered as long as possible by the lockers after the last bell rang, but Brianna never showed her face. She was obviously avoiding her. Jael slipped a note through the slit in Bree’s locker door. An apology for not telling her everything sooner and a last goodbye. It would have to do.
As she pushed through the double front doors for the last time, everything seemed to take on a slow-motion kaleidoscope of color and sound. Kids laughed and shouted around her, climbed into cars, and huddled in groups on the sidewalk, spreading out on their mass exodus from the building.
She spotted the Suburban parked four cars back in line and hurried toward it. Her dad was picking her up today. Shadow called out to her as she moved past the bike rack. She turned and approached his motorcycle. He was busy adjusting the straps of his backpack tied to the seat in back.
“Have you seen Bree?” she asked.
He slipped his leg over the seat and looked up at her. “Sorry. I don’t have afternoon classes with her. But she must be here. Her car’s still parked over there.” He pointed.
“If you see her tomorrow, tell her I’m…” she shook her head. “Never mind. I have to go.”
He put out a hand and touched her arm. “Hey, don’t sweat it. She’ll come around. What you need to worry about right now is staying a step ahead of the vamps. I’m stopping at my grandfather’s to speak with him again. Maybe I can change his mind. Whether he listens or not, I’ll cruise out toward your place. I want to be there in case there’s trouble.”
“I appreciate that, but this isn’t your fight.” She glanced back at her father, waiting. He was watching them like a hawk.
“Your antapittseh is my antapittseh,” he said, and placed his hand palm down across his chest like a pledge.
She bit her bottom lip and frowned.
“Sorry. Your enemy is my enemy,” he interpreted, then turned the key on his bike, flipped up the kickstand and pressed the start button. The engine revved to life and he gave it some gas with a couple quick twists of the throttle. He had to yell so she could hear him. “See ya later, slayer!”
She watched him drive over the curb and out of the parking lot, long hair flowing from beneath his red bandanna. Her dad motioned for her to hurry up. She opened the door of the Suburban.
“Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, kiddo. How was your day?” he asked as she climbed in and buckled up. “Nothing out of the ordinary?”
She shook her head and glanced across the parking lot as he pulled the Suburban around. Bree’s car was parked beside Coach’s pickup truck with the orange flames painted on the sides. The big car looked pretty plain next to that testosterone-fueled monster. She would definitely miss riding around in the old Cadillac. But mostly… she would miss Bree.