had felt almost like hands had gripped her, shoving her out of the gym.
That was impossible - she'd just been standing in a weird place; a draft must have shot through the gymnasium.
Uneasily, she approached the closed door and pressed her face up against the small glass rectangle.
Daniel was looking around, like he'd heard something. She felt certain he didn't know it was her: He wasn't scowling.
She thought about Roland's suggestion that she just ask Daniel what was up, but quickly dismissed the notion. It was impossible to ask anything of Daniel. She didn't want to bring out that scowl on his face.
Besides, any question she might pose would be useless. She'd already heard all she needed to hear last night. She'd have to be some kind of sadist to ask him to admit he was with Gabbe. She turned back toward the locker room when she realized she couldn't leave.
Her key.
It must have slipped from her hands when she stumbled out of the room. She stood on tiptoes to look down through the small glass panel on the door. There it was, a bronze blunder on the padded blue mat. How had it gotten so far across the room, so close to where he was working out? Luce sighed and pushed the door back open, thinking if she had to go in, at least she'd make it quick.
Reaching for her key, she sneaked one last look at him. His pace was slowing, slowing, but his feet still barely touched the ground. And then, with one final light-as-air bounce, he came to a stop and turned around to face her.
For a moment, he said nothing. She could feel herself blush and really wished she wasn't wearing such a horrible bathing suit.
"Hi" was all she could think to say.
"Hi," he said back, in a much calmer tone of voice. Then, gesturing at her suit, said, "Did you win?"
Luce laughed a sad, self-effacing laugh and shook her head. "Far from it."
Daniel pursed his lips. "But you were always ..."
"I was always what?"
"I mean, you look like you might be a good swimmer." He shrugged. "That's all."
She stepped toward him. They were standing just a foot apart. Drops of water fell from her hair and pattered like rain on the gym mats. "That's not what you were going to say," she insisted. "You said I was always ..."
Daniel busied himself coiling the jump rope around his wrist. "Yeah, I didn't mean you you. I meant in general.
They're always supposed to let you win your first race here. Unspoken code of conduct for us old-timers."
"But Gabbe didn't win either," Luce said, crossing her arms over her chest. "And she's new. She didn't even get in the pool."
"She's not exactly new, just coming back after some time ... off." Daniel shrugged, giving away nothing of his feelings for Gabbe. His obvious attempt to look unconcerned made Luce even more jealous. She watched him finish looping the jump rope into a coil, the way his hands moved almost as quickly as his feet. And here she was so clumsy and lonely and cold and left out of everything by everyone. Her lip quivered.
"Oh, Lucinda," he whispered, sighing heavily.
Her whole body warmed at the sound. His voice was so intimate and familiar.
She wanted him to say her name again, but he had turned away. He hooked the jump rope over a peg on the wall. "I should go change before class." She rested a hand on his arm. "Wait."
He wrenched away as if he had been shocked - and Luce felt it, too, but it was the kind of shock that felt good.
"Do you ever get the feeling ..." She raised her eyes to his. Up close, she could see how unusual they were. They seemed gray from far away, but up close there were violet flecks in them. She knew someone else with eyes like that...
"I could swear we've met before," she said. "Am I crazy?"
"Crazy? Isn't that why you're here?" he said, brushing her off.
"I'm serious."
"So am I." Daniel's face was blank. "And for the record" - he pointed up at a blinking device attached to the ceiling - "the reds do monitor for stalkers." "I'm not stalking you." She stiffened, very aware of the distance between their bodies. "Can you honestly say you have no idea what I'm talking about?" Daniel shrugged.
"I don't believe you," Luce insisted. "Look me in the eye and tell me I'm wrong. That I've never in my life seen