Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,51

And Jesse. But Katelyn didn’t live with them so school was her business, not theirs. Screw them. She wouldn’t let them take this away from her.

“Sounds great,” she told the coach. Trick looked pleased.

“What sort of budget were your folks thinking about?” the principal asked Trick, practically salivating. Good gymnastics equipment could be pricey.

“We’ll sit down after school and figure out what to order,” Trick replied. “Unless you’re too busy today, Katelyn.” He focused his sea-green eyes on her and raised a brow.

She heard the challenge in his voice. She knew very well he was testing to see if she’d blow him off in favor of Justin. For gymnastics equipment, yes, she could be bought.

“Sounds completely great,” she repeated, looking steadily at him, and his slow smile appeared. She couldn’t help but smile back. It actually was completely great.

“The coach and I will talk,” Mr. Hastings said, nodding at Coach Ambrose. “We’ll confer about what kind of setup the gym can accommodate. We’ll be sure to thank your family properly, Trick.” He reached out a hand. Trick rose and clasped it, and they shook. Then Trick shook hands with the coach.

This is so cool, Katelyn thought.

As she and Trick pushed back their chairs, she wished she could ask the principal what Cordelia’s family had told him about her absence. And if he’d gotten any news about Mr. Henderson.

Yes, the gym equipment was cool, but she couldn’t forget that there were a few things in Wolf Springs that were definitely not cool. Including her.

10

U have to come over after school, Justin texted Katelyn as she sat in art class. The class was making ceramic story pots, 3D interpretations of a favorite work in another medium. Katelyn was busily sculpting her own little figurine in a red leotard perched on a Mexican cloud swing. Paulette smiled over at Katelyn as she worked on her version of Where the Wild Things Are. Katelyn wondered if Paulette knew the wild things were in houses and art classes as well as the forest.

She texted Justin back. Can’t today. OK? Don’t feel good. Then she grimaced as if she could see him lose his mind at her mutinous disrespect. That time.

? he wrote back.

“C’mon, connect the dots, Justin,” she muttered under her breath. “Please.”

“Is that Cordelia?” Paulette asked, not concerned, just being snoopy. Paulette was on record as disliking Cordelia intensely. Paulette had warned new-girl Kat McBride that Cordelia was a two-faced, mean snake, someone best shunned.

It’s that time, Katelyn finally texted back, flushing.

Got it, Justin said. Good that you stay away. CU in a couple days.

“Okay, that’s embarrassing,” she muttered to herself. She typed in KK. And good to know that w. girls get a break once a month. She didn’t dare type out the full word “werewolf,” but figured he’d get the point.

She said to Paulette, “It’s not Cordelia.”

Paulette nodded and added a blob of clay to the side of her pot. “I wonder what happened to Mr. Henderson,” she said in a low voice. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

“Not gone,” Katelyn said, and then she stopped. Because what did she know?

“He must have family,” Paulette went on. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t show up here, asking questions. I’d be going crazy.”

“I know,” Katelyn murmured, feeling guilty even though she’d done nothing to Mr. Henderson. Werewolves didn’t hurt people. Didn’t attack them.

But someone attacked me.

“This isn’t turning out the way I wanted,” she blurted suddenly. She reached out a hand toward the figure.

“Kat, leave it be. It’s really sweet,” Paulette protested. “Besides, if you start over now, you won’t finish in time.”

Katelyn sighed and looked out the window at the parking lot; rain was pouring down at a sharp angle, pushed by the wind, the sky hung low, and overhead lightning crackled. She stared at Trick’s Mustang and reminded herself that a good thing had happened today. An awesome thing. But she was near tears.

Werewolf hormones, she reminded herself. Get a grip.

She smiled at Paulette. “You’re right.” She gave the figure a little push, and Paulette smiled back.

That afternoon, after school, Trick was waiting for her at her locker. She was tired from monitoring herself and he lifted a brow as she got out a few books and shut the locker door.

“Hey?” he said.

“I’m fine,” she said. “I mean, hi.”

They began to walk toward the lot, which was shimmering with rain puddles. He reached in his backpack and held out something wrapped in a gray cloth. As she touched it, she had

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