one leg under the table before ordering the other side to, “Scoot down a little.” His voice is rough, almost a yell as he makes the demand from the other end of the table.
Dante takes the seat across from me. When I meet his eyes, he shrugs, tilting his head toward the right. It’s then that I see Delaney in the spot next to him. I want to reach over and pull him to our side of the table, but when Milo places his hand on my arm, I stop myself from making a scene.
“I grabbed a few things from the hot line,” Ollie pipes up, setting a tray of crunchy tater tots in front of me. My mouth waters just thinking about them. I qualify for free lunch, always have, but I rarely eat in the cafeteria, so it’s not often I get anything other than the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I bring. However, I love the school’s tater tots. I’ve tried to recreate them at home several times, baking them and even frying them, but I can’t manage to get the crunch just right, like the school convection oven can.
I peer up at Ollie, wondering how he knew. He gives me a cheeky wink but says nothing. Milo drops my turkey sandwich next. Suddenly, the noise at the table picks up; I hadn’t even realized it had quieted with our approach, but now everyone is talking again, including Delaney.
“Are you still coming over tonight?” Delaney questions Dante. She has the straw to her cola poised at her lips.
Dante, digging into the turkey sandwich Milo also just gave him, huffs but nods his head. “We really need to get everything finished up this week. I have other things I need to be doing.” He looks up, catching my eye, but looks away quickly.
“There are just a few more things to take care of,” Delaney answers noncommittally. I pop a tot in my mouth and glance around. I’m trying not to focus too much on Dante and Delaney across from me, but I have to admit my jealousy has me paying way more attention to her than I should.
Milo and Ollie lean past me a few times, talking about little stuff. I tune them out as I pick up a can of fruit punch to my right. I’ve grown used to sharing with the guys. All of them have offered me drinks from their cups at one point or another, so I think nothing about reaching out and taking a drink. The girl on Delaney’s right leans over and whispers something in her ear with her eyes on me. I wipe my face with a rough white napkin, knowing they’re talking about me, but unsure what I’ve done this time to warrant their whispers.
The lunch period seems to last way longer than usual since I’m crammed into the table with everyone else. I hope we can go back to eating in the stairway tomorrow. This sucks. I can’t even enjoy my tater tots. I feel like everyone is staring at me.
Breaking away from the guys when lunch finally ends, I hustle to my next hour where I’m happily ignored.
Dante meets me in the hall on the way to art. “Hey,” I offer as I walk up to him, waiting a few steps out of my last class.
He gives me a chin jerk and starts walking. With anyone else I might think they were mad at me, or maybe even didn’t like me. But I’ve come to realize it’s just his way. Right before we make it to the art room door, he turns and faces me. “I’ll show you tonight.” I tilt my head, I’m sure he can read the confusion on my face. “After you get off work, I can show you.” Dante shrugs. “The rest of me.”
Realization dawns, he means that he’ll shift, that I can finally see his power. I hop on my toes, excited at the idea. “Really, you don’t have to, but I… I want you to.” I stammer over the words. I hope I’m not being too demanding.
Dante lets out a low chuckle, “I didn’t know you even wanted to. I thought it might freak you out.”
I give him a light smack to his arm with the back of my hand. “Why would you think that?” I’m not really expecting an answer, so when he does, I’m a little surprised at the seriousness of his tone.
“It’s not a common power—neither is Ares’s ability—but